Broken Crown
by rocket-queen98
Summary: "What do you mean she's gone, Rebekah? How the bloody hell could you misplace my daughter?" - Klaus hasn't seen Hope since he gave her to his sister. He's spent 16 years fighting for their family home so that one day his daughter would return to him. It has finally come, only not in the best of circumstances.
1. Hopeless Wanderer

**A/N _This is my first ever Originals story. I've never written anything like this before and i've only just started watching the first season. I hope that you all like it, and just to be clear, I'm not sure about which powers/abilities that Hope would have. I'm not sure if she would be more powerful than Klaus, I assume she would. Also, i've never written Klaus before so I apologize if he's a bit OCC. __I've heard that because of her werewolf genes, she can't be a witch, but in this story, she is all three, but I hope that it doesn't change your views on the story._**

_**Anyway, I do still hope that you like it and if you do, please leave a review, it'll make it quicker for me to add more.**_

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><p>"<em>...that child you carry is the only thing on this earth that matters to me."<em>

**- Klaus Mikaelson to Hayley Marshall about Hope.**

_**X**_

**Broken Crown**

**Present Day – 2030 **

"**What do you mean she's gone, Rebekah? How the bloody hell could you misplace my daughter?!"**

Klaus paced angrily back and forth his study, resisting the urge to crush the mobile he was currently growling into. Elijah, trying to keep calm, was also on the phone with Marcel, who was doing everything in his power to help, all while trying to keep Hope a secret. Though, even if their enemies did find out about the youngest Mickaelson, there wasn't much they could do. Each day Hope grew stronger, and against her, along with the rest of them, their enemies were powerless. But, no doubt, they would try something and that was the last thing they needed during their search.

Hayley was sitting on Klaus' desk chair, her head in her hands, trying to keep her anger in check. The mother, along with the hybrid inside of her was screaming to tear Rebekah's head off, even though the blonde was not at fault. Elijah came up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, all while speaking to Marcel. After thanking the vampire for his help, he hung up and tossed the mobile aside, listening in as Rebekah spoke, her voice slightly shaky. It was as if she could feel Klaus' anger with her, and tried to tell herself that he was just upset, but the way he was speaking to her was getting to her.

"_I don't know what happened, Nik. One minute she was here and the next she was gone."_

"You stup-"

Rebekah inhaled, and Elijah spoke up,"Leave her, Niklaus. I'm sure our sister feels terrible enough as it is. But we have to stop and think clearly. No vampire, werewolf or witch would have been brave enough to go into a house with an Original, not if they knew the consequences. Even if they did, i'm positive that Hope would have quickly eliminated them."

Klaus narrowed his eyes,"What are you saying, brother?"

Elijah pulled up a chair and sat down next to Hayley,"I'm saying that it's possible that she left of her own free will."Klaus' eyes flashed amber, warning filling them but Elijah raised a hand,"How has she been, Rebekah?"

"_She was getting sick of being held up in one place, if that's what you mean. She was becoming more aware of her powers, of who she was. She was determined that she wanted to explore her powers but there's no way she would have left without telling me, not without saying something. She was dealing with it, at least I thought she was."_

"The hybrid was taking over, she felt like an animal in a cage." Hayley whispered, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she raised her head.

"_She was feeding...a lot. Escaping out at night, her hunger had completely taken over her, but she was good at pretending that everything was fine, something she got from you, Nik."_

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, sister?" The hybrid demanded.

"_I didn't find out until after she left, **brother**. If I had known, I would have called you straight away, you know that. She kept a diary...reminds me of Stefan. Only not as doom and gloom. She was...amazed by her powers, another thing she got from her father. But, at the same time, after she had fed, it was as if the hunger was taking over her."_

Hayley chewed on her lip before speaking,"I felt the same after transitioning."

"Though, with her power and hunger, it's impossible to comprehend what she's going through. You were taught to deal with what happened to you, she doesn't know the full story or hasn't got anyone to help her through it. Our daughter, little wolf, has had the complete opposite. She was born with this and each day she becomes more powerful."

Klaus' jaw clenched, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat proud at Hope's determination. He knew what it was like, feeling like a prisoner when you wanted to feel free. He sent her to Rebekah so that she wouldn't feel like a prisoner, but as she became more powerful and as she grew older, she felt like she was being suffocated. The hybrid in her was fighting to get out, she hadn't had the chance to be herself, nobody had taught her how to deal with her urges. He swallowed thickly, though she could somewhat deal with being on her own, he growled at the thought of his enemies going after her. Though the weaker ones would cower away in fear once they noticed who she was but now that it was known, some braver ones would try to use her.

Hayley jumped up, tears in her eyes,"I've spent sixteen years without my baby girl with only pictures to know what she looks like each year. Now, she's out there...confused and alone. I know what that feels like, she feels like she's losing her sanity, each day seems longer, she feels like she's out of control. This isn't fair on her!."

"Calm down, little wolf. She'll find her way back, I promise you that."

His pacing came to a halt, and he threw the mobile away, but before it could smash, his brother caught it. He calmed his sister as Klaus began to smash things up, tossing over desks, making Hayley jump. He imagined the thought of his daughter out there somewhere, not knowing how to control her hunger. Though she had become familiar with it since she was six, the older she got and the more she was around people, it threatened her hunger. Her only thought would be to feed, and it would slowly take over who she was. Hope hadn't been trained, and he knew that he was the only person who could help her. She was his daughter, his flesh and blood and nobody mattered more than her.

"Niklaus, we need to get to her before it completely takes over her. I will not have my niece drown in her own darkness. She needs to be reassured that she has a family who is here, who will be here for her. Especially her parents who have had the same experience."

"_She knows that I love her...so why did she leave me, Elijah?"_

The vulnerability in Rebekah made Klaus flinch, and he swallowed once more, trying to keep in control. His sister had always feared of being abandoned or neglected, just like he did. Hope was very important to Rebekah, just like she was to all of them but she had raised her. He knew that she was feeling like she was at blame, mostly because he had taken his frustration out on her.

Elijah tried to soothe her worries,"I'm sure that our niece didn't leave because she was holding some resentment towards you, Rebekah. Like you said, she wanted some sort of freedom, i'm sure that she didn't want you to feel abandoned. As soon as we get her back on the right path, you'll see just how much you mean to her. Don't take this as a fault in how you raised her, she just needs to learn how to deal with her powers and her hunger, just like we did. But the only difference is that we never thought of taking care of this sooner, it was too dangerous back then."

The three lowered their gaze to the ground as Rebekah started to sob. As Elijah, always the comforting one, tried his best to calm his sister, Klaus kept quiet. He remembered the first phone call he had gotten from Rebekah since Hope's birth. It was when his daughter was six years old, when she has first shown signs of her hybrid nature. At first, there were no worries about her, she had carried on as normal, but as she got older, the more her powers and abilities came, she became faster and stronger. Though Klaus was against it, Rebekah had taken to stealing blood from the nearest hospital to feed Hope's thirst because it was still too dangerous to teach her how to feed properly then, like Elijah had said.

He wished that he had been there to teach his daughter how to control herself, it was his job to protect her and show her the ways of the world, the ways of **their** world.

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><p><em>Flashback - 2020 – 6 Years Old.<em>

"_Aunt Bekah! Aunt Bekah!"_

_The blonde Original in question came running into the front room, wearing her hair in a loose bun, strands falling around her face, and some flour smeared on her face. She had been baking some cupcakes, well attempting to, for Hope as a treat but had gotten interrupted when her name had been screamed. Clutching a wooden spoon in her hand, Rebekah raised it, ready to use it as a weapon. Her eyes were wide with panic, prepared for an attack, but it faltered into a shocked expression as she looked at her young niece. Hope was standing in front of the large mirror that was in the corner of the room, looking at her reflection proudly. Her back was to her aunt, oblivious to the cartoons that was playing in the background that Rebekah had turned on to keep her distracted._

"_What is it, love? What's gotten you so captivated with the mirror?"_

"_Look! Look!" Rebekah chuckled as the girl laughed brightly at herself._

"_At what? Show me what you want me to look at, sweetheart so that I could go back to baking."_

_Standing up slowly, her niece turned around to face her aunt, who's smile soon dropped when she saw the spider-like veins underneath her ocean blue eyes eyes, which were now amber, resembling Klaus' eyes whenever he showed his true face. She smiled up at her aunt, giggling at the wooden spoon in her hand and the flour on her face, showing two small fangs when the smile widened. Rebekah dropped the spoon in her hand before she sunk down onto her knees in front of her precious niece to get a closer look._

_She swallowed, this wasn't supposed to happen, not yet anyway. There was no way she could have triggered the werewolf side of her, and there was also no way that she could have become a vampire. She frowned, trying to think of a reason as to why this was happening. Hope was a miracle, a special child, so that could have bent the 'rules', it could have affected how she would have become a hybrid. She hadn't been having any weird cravings that could have led upto this, nothing had been out of the ordinary. Rebekah chewed on her lip as Hope's human face came forward before it changed again, revealing her fangs, and her eyes flashed once more. _

"_W-What happened, sweet?" _

_The Original picked her niece up in her embrace, balancing her on her hip as she made her way over to the seat. She sat down and perched the new hybrid on her lap as she tried to think of a way to deal with what was happening. She hadn't had any contact with her family other than letters ever since Klaus had handed Hope when she was born. Every few months, Rebekah would snap a few pictures and send them to Klaus and Hayley, which they greatly appreciated. She had to contact the others to tell them what had happened, faster than a letter. She sighed and cuddled her niece into her, kissing the top of her head. _

_The young girl looked down at her hands,"I was climbing and fell."_

"_Hope Mickaelson, what ha-"_

"_I'm sorry, Aunt Bekah. I won't do it again!" She kissed her aunt on the cheek to stop the blonde from yelling at her. _

_There was a tree outside in the garden, the only place she was allowed to play apart from inside the house. They lived far away from any city or town but close enough so that Rebekah could go and get shopping every few days. Once in a while Rebekah would take her out for ice cream, or to get some new toys just so that Hope could feel somewhat normal. The only excitement that Hope got was playing in their small garden, but she had been banned from climbing the tree ever since she had fallen down a few months earlier. She had gotten out without a scratch, but Rebekah had told her not to do it again._

_Though it seemed that it didn't stop her. Rebekah chuckled, she was definitely Klaus' daughter._

"_What happened after you fell?"_

_Hope whispered,"I cut my hand on a sharp branch and it started bleeding a lot...then it...it..."_

"_Healed? Did it look like magic?"_

_She nodded, and went on explaining as best as she could what happened afterwards. Rebekah nodded along, the blood had triggered something inside of the young girl, explaining how the vampire part of her could have been triggered in a way. To trigger the werewolf part of her, she would have had to kill someone, and also to trigger the vampire part of her, she would have had to die. But, once again, Hope was a **miracle**, that changed the situation and explanations completely. Also, thanks to Esther, she was part witch, but she hadn't shown any signs of showing that powers yet. Hope had more power than the rest of them...even at such a young age, even from the womb she had been a force to be reckoned with. _

"_Aunt Bekah?"_

_She broke out of her thoughts and met her ocean blue eyes,"Yes?"_

"_Am I magic? Like mommy and daddy?"_

_Unable to help herself, Rebekah smiled and nodded once more. Her niece locked her small arms around her neck, pulling the blonde closer. She had told Hope about her family, well the good things, about her family when she started asking questions a few years back. She knew that Klaus, Elijah and Hayley were fighting to give her a home and that one day she would be reunited with her parents. But Rebekah had explained it like a fairytale, one she told Hope every night before she went to bed. Her family were fighting to keep the 'wicked creatures' away from their 'castle' so that their princess could return home safely._

"_Yes, sweetheart. Just like mommy and daddy." She laughed before adding,"How about we go out for cupcakes? You're aunt Bex can do a lot of things, but I don't think that baking is one of them."_

"_I would like that.. But, first, can you tell me the story, aunt Bekah? Please?"_

_Rebekah smiled at her, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Though it was supposed to be her bed time story, she couldn't resist the pout on Hope's face that reminded her of Klaus' innocent look whenever he tried to get out of something that she was angry with him for. She pulled her niece close, and nodded before she spoke in a soft tone. _

"_Once upon a time, there was a majestic king. He was blessed with a beautiful baby daughter for whom he wished only peace..."_

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><p>"<em>I'm sorry, Nik. I'm sorry that I failed. I'm s-"<em>

Klaus cut her off,"Elijah's right. It's not your fault, Bekah."He emphasized her nickname to let her know he meant it,"...she'll return home, i'll make sure of it. It's time for my daughter to return to me and to our home, she's ready."

He was right. At this age, with her father, Hope was the most powerful creature that was roaming the earth. She had the strength, the ability and the power to take down anything that came across her. She was part witch because of Esther, something that could be used against magic that enemies would try to use against her, she was werewolf royalty because of Hayley. Klaus hoped that the power wouldn't turn Hope into anything like him, especially not cause her to shut out her family. He was proud that she was welcoming her powers, that she held the same stubbornness and determination that he did.

He would gladly hunt down anyone who tried to harm a hair on her head. He'd spent sixteen years wondering how his first meeting with her would go, if she would accept him or not. He'd been wondering how she would react to him, of how he dealt with certain things, but he pushed those thoughts aside as long as she was out there by herself. Powerful being or not, she was still his daughter, and he wouldn't allow her to be alone. She was, after all, his princess, and the only hope for his family, the only one, true source of light in his life. Klaus was broken out of his thoughts when Rebekah, who was now somewhat calm, spoke up.

"_Nik is right, she needs to be home to recover, and that's where she'll stay."_

Klaus knew that Rebekah wanted an invitation and he knew that out of all of them, she was the closest to his daughter, no matter how much he wished that he was,"Come home, little sister. Once Hope returns to us, this family is going need to be whole, and it's not that if you're not here."

_"...I'll be there in a few hours, I will check around here once more before I leave." _

She said goodbye, sounding close to tears, before hanging up and Elijah placed the mobile back down on the table after he fixed the mess Klaus had caused. Hayley was now looking at the pictures that Rebekah had sent over the years, which were kept in a box that Klaus had made by hand. It had Hope's name engraved on the lid, along with some other patterns. She smiled through her tears, praying to anyone that would listen that her daughter would return to her. The box was kept in Hayley's bedside table, and had a lock on it so that nobody but her and Klaus could look at them.

Some were of birthday's, Christmases, while others were just random. They were a few of her painting, which was her favorite hobby. There were some of her baking with Rebekah in the kitchen. The pictures of her when she was older were Hayley's favorite. Her eyes were identical to Klaus', while her hair and face structure was all Hayley. Though her personality was much more of her father. Hope didn't cry much, even when she was young, she would always cover her hurt with anger or by painting just like her father. Though, unlike her father, she would be angry at herself for feeling hurt, she would always try to be stronger.

She never showed any weakness, and never took to doing what she was told either, she would always go head to head with her aunt as she grew older. But Hope always showed respect to her aunt, she loved Rebekah more than life itself. Her strength was something she got from both of her parents, Rebekah always reminded them of that.

"How do you plan to help her, Niklaus? What are your thoughts?" Elijah asked.

"She needs guidance, patience and control, brother. Hope needs to be with her own kind, with her family. She needs her mother and her father who know a fraction of what she is feeling. Once she returns home and it becomes known there will be trouble, no doubt."

Elijah spoke up once more, showing anger than was rare for him,"If they attack us, brother, then we shall not hesitate to kill them all. We show no mercy when it comes to Hope."

Before Klaus could open his mouth to reply, the front door was slammed open. The three rushed out of the study using their speed and stopped near the door. Marcel walked in, looking like he had been through some kind of struggle. As he made his way into the front room, they noticed that he was carrying something. As he came into the dim lit room, Klaus and Hayley felt a familiar warm feeling hit them, one of a connection. The two looked at one another, instantly recognizing the feeling, their daughter was in the room. Ejijah held Hayley close as tears filled her eyes once more, this time it was caused by relief, not sadness. Marcel placed her on the coffee table after Elijah cleared it. Blood, human blood was smeared on her cheeks, along with some vampire blood, too. She looked tired and lost, this broke Hayley's heart.

Klaus stood over his daughter, remembering when she was small enough to fit in one arm. He smiled to himself when he also remembered her small fingers wrapping around his finger, clutching to him. Human blood hit his senses, and he heard Hayley began to sob as she looked over her daughter. His smile dropped when he also smelled vampire blood, which was coating her clothes, staining the material of her white shirt.

As Klaus and Elijah went to speak to Marcel, the mother stayed close to Hope. She carefully wiped a few loose strands of hair away from her face,"I really didn't want to meet you this way, baby girl. But it's still the second best moment of my life, the first with you being born, of course. Though...that was no heaven either."

Marcel sat down on the couch along with Klaus and Elijah who were in need of answers. He looked worn out but he spoke softly,"I found her just outside the city...a few of our boys recognized her."

He let out a choked sound, looking like he was close to tears,"She ripped them apart when they tried to get to her. Literally ripped them to pieces...in true Klaus Mikaelson fashion. I tried to calm her down, but she was going crazy, so I had to do something."

Klaus growled and so did Hayley who had been listening in. Elijah looked ready to tear him apart too,"What did you do to my daughter?"

"Niklaus! Give Marcel long enough to explain, he did bring her home, after all."

Marcel jumped up, hands held up in surrender at the three who were looking at him as if he were something wicked. He backed away a step, not wanting any trouble. Although he wasn't one to run, the looks on their faces was like looking into hell itself. He made sure to speak in a calm, clear tone that told them that he had only did what he had to do to keep his head on his shoulders. He knew that even speaking about Hope the wrong way would result in a horrible consequence, even from the hybrid princess herself. Klaus stood up and made his way over to his adoptive son, once again, amber flashing in his eyes.

"Don't start on me, man. I knocked her out, she would have killed me, too. It took some work. She's a fighter."

Klaus stopped and turned his head, glancing at the girl who was laying on the table, then a small smile appeared on his mouth once more.

"That she is, my friend. That she is."

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><p><strong>Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	2. The Littlest Wolf

**Flashback – One Hour Earlier**

_**Welcome To New Orleans**_

_Hope's blue eyes narrowed as she stumbled closer to the sign, wiping the blood off of her chin in the process, dropping the body she had been feeding from. The woman who had almost knocked her over entering the town, who had been stupid enough to ask her if she was all-right after seeing the dry blood on her cheek fell at her feet. Her body was tired, she could barely stand on her feet, she had no clear memory of how she had gotten to the city, it was as if the last few days had been a complete blur to her. But there was something inside of her that was very much awake, telling her that the blood she had taken from the woman hadn't been enough to feed her hunger._

_The bold writing on the sign became much more clear, Hope didn't know what was drawing her to enter the city, but for some reason she felt a tug toward it. She growled, suddenly angry that there was nobody around for her to feed on, the road ahead of her was bare. She let out a loud roar before walking past the sign, into the middle of the road. She made her way further down the road on shaky legs, shaking her hair out of her eyes, the strands now thicker with human blood._

_What had happened to her? _

_She had been able to somewhat control herself thanks to the hospital blood her aunt had been feeding her, but as she reached the age of sixteen, there was something becoming more alive inside of her, something she couldn't abandon. The first time she had fed on a human was when she and Rebekah went to the nearest town, the town they only went to for shopping or for Hope's rare days out. While her aunt had went into the store for a quick shop, trusting her to stay in the car for the first time ever, Hope had become distracted by a fight that had started down the street. People didn't seem to mind it, it was as if it were an everyday thing for people to fight. _

_Then, all of a sudden, her fangs had come forward, and when she looked in the rear view mirror, her eyes flashed amber then the familiar spider veins appeared underneath her eyes. Before she could do anything else, she was out of the car and over to the alley way, where two men were fighting for some unknown reason. One of them had a split lip, and blood had poured down onto his chin. The next thing Hope could remember was lunging on one of them, while she had used her compulsion, taught to her by Rebekah, to keep the other quiet. She had dragged them further into the alleyway, where it was darker._

_Ecstasy. _

_That was how she could describe the feeling she had gotten after she had fed for the first time. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, as if the blood she had been given before was nothing. Taking blood from the vein was bliss to her. Afterwards, the first thing she thought of was making sure that her aunt didn't find out, she didn't want to disturb her. So from then on, Hope would sneak out of her bedroom window and use her speed to get to the town. She would spend more than an hour searching for the weakest, easiest pray. She saw it as a game of cat and mouse, only she would always win. _

_For some reason, the blood tasted much more better when she treated it like a game. She kept a diary tucked underneath her mattress so that she could document how she felt before and after each feeding. Each time she wrote, it was as if she were spiraling, each page was darker than the rest. Hope couldn't control how she fed, she couldn't stop, there was no limit and she spent time searching for places she could dump the bodies. But she never felt any guilt, she was more bothered about when she could satisfy her hunger. _

_The only guilt Hope felt was for keeping it from her aunt. _

_Her aunt Rebekah had been the only constant in her life. She was dedicated to making her niece feel loved, something that Hope was sure that she had missed out on for a long time. She was also sure that Rebekah had been hurt, which made her aunt only more devoted to her niece. The blonde Original told her every day that her parents loved her, emphasizing that Hope was never abandoned but protected and loved by her parents from afar. Though she knew that, Hope saw Rebekah as her surrogate mother. She loved her biological mother, sure, but Rebekah was the only thought in mind that was keeping her sane enough at the moment. _

_Rebekah was the reason Hope hadn't lost herself...but right now, Hope couldn't face her, that's why she had left the house when her aunt turned her back. She left the first chance she got. _

"_Well, well...what have we got here? Young ladies should not roam the streets at night, you don't know what goes bump in the night."_

_Hope was broken out of her thoughts when she heard a pair of footsteps come towards her. She raised her head, for the first time seeing the shining lights that hung from windows. She realized that she had walked long enough, now she would be able to feed enough to hold of the hunger. Hope quickly discovered that standing in front of her wasn't a human, he had no heartbeat, and when he smirked at her, she could see fangs._

_Another vampire joined the one that was standing in front of her, grinning,"Now, now, Marko...we've been told to share our food."_

_They could not see the blood on her face thanks to the darkness that surrounded them, but she knew that they were second guessing themselves as they took a longer look at her eyes. Their smiles fell from their faces when they discovered by listening closer that she had no heartbeat, and that she wasn't the human they thought she was. They regretfully took a step closer, and something inside of her told her to destroy them. Hope felt some sort of sick happiness when she sensed their fear as they slowly realized who they were standing in front of._

_Marko let out a shocked gasp,"It can't be...she died."_

"_What are you talking about? Who the hell is she?"_

"_You created a war in this city. My family was slaughtered for getting in the middle of it."_

_Her senses also told her that the unnamed vampire hadn't been undead for long, she guessed that he was only a few years old. Marko didn't answer, instead he lunged for her, trying his best to knock her down. She side stepped, allowing her fangs to appear, and the vampire who was still standing let out a shaky breath. He tried to use his speed to run away, but she was quicker. Hope appeared behind him, and her hand shot out, fingers wrapping around his neck, lifting him off of his feet._

"_Your friend needs to learn how to speak to a lady, they are special...especially this one." She growled angrily._

"_I'm sorry, i'm sure di-didn't mean to..to upset you. Pl-Please."_

_His feet kicked underneath him, his own fingers locking around her wrist, trying to push her away. But it didn't work, she much stronger even at such a young age. When he kicked her in the stomach to try and dislodge himself, she pushed him away. Marko tried to get in the way, to distract her, but she shoved him into the wall behind them, knocking him unconscious._

"_Wh-Who are you?!"_

"_Hope. My name is Hope."_

_He was pushed into a car, leaving a large dent, mistaking her for one of the older vampires,"Please, show me mercy, I didn't mean any disrespect."_

_He tripped over his feet, shuffling away from her, which was a reaction that would disappoint his sire. She jumped off of her feet into the air, and landed on top of him, her fingers tangling in his hair. She snapped his neck to the side, her anger taking over her, and she bit savagely into his neck. He screamed in pain once more but it was quickly silenced and soon, she had effectively ripped his head off of his shoulders. The hybrid had taken over her, it had fueled her anger. Hope got back up onto her feet, throwing the head aside with disgust. _

_She raised her head, the violence satisfying something inside of her, and she growled one more time. She tilted her head, staring up at the night sky before her eyes landed on Marko, who was sprawled on the side walk. He let out a groan when she kicked his foot, waking him up. He jumped up, flashing behind her but she knew what he was planning, and before he could act again, she spun around to face him. She had learned her sarcasm and dark humor from her aunt who had told her never to take back chat from weaker people._

"_Why aren't you dead? How are you so...powerful?"_

"_**Aunt Bekah?"**_

_**The blonde met her ocean blue eyes,"Yes?"**_

"_**Am I magic? Like mommy and daddy?"**_

_**Rebekah laughed and nodded, "Yes, sweetheart. Just like mommy and daddy."**_

"_...because i'm magic. Just ask my aunt Bekah."_

"_Well, not for long. Screw everyone else, you're at fault for my family, you're finished."_

_He went to hit her, but she caught his arm. She bent it, and he screamed when bones broke, the sounds hitting her ears,"How many times do I have to tell you? Woman are queens, you should respect them, especially ones like me."_

_Before he could open his mouth to speak, Hope reached out and tore off a piece of s metal balcony above them after jumping into the air once more. She raised her arms, keeping a tight grip on it, and with all her strength, she swung it at the vampire in front of her. He let out a shout, cursing at her before he was cut off. The metal had went straight through him, slicing him in half. Both pieces of him landed on the ground, and Hope threw the metal away, sighing to herself. She felt alive, and satisfied, but that feeling was quickly gone. But most of all, she felt strong. _

"_**The women in our small family are strong. You, me and your mother, are strong, love. Us girls stick together, always and forever, Hope. Our bond is forever. Fight to keep it alive."**_

_Hope wiped the blood on her black jeans before she began to walk down the street once more, not sure of where she was going, but decided that she would need to rest. As she walked, Hope let her human features come forward. Her silence was broken when her phone started to ring in her pocket. After making sure that her hands were clean, she dug into her jacket and pulled out her mobile, making a mental note to put it on vibrate. A picture of her and Rebekah came into view, she was smiling as her aunt kissed her cheek._

_She shook her head, Rebekah had found a way into her mobile to put that picture as her contact picture. Her smile fell when she saw the blonde's name on the screen. She couldn't talk to Rebekah right now, she didn't want to hear the broken sound of her voice, she must have been heartbroken when she saw that Hope had left. She had broken her aunt's rule of sticking to together, of not lying to one another. Her aunt was the only person who could make Hope feel upset about hurting her. Hope was never one to be upset, she never showed any weakness, but Rebekah broke through that._

_Hope looked down at the screen once more, her finger hovering over the answer button, but at the last second to pressed the red one, ignoring her aunt. She bit her lip when she realized that she had ignored her aunt almost sixteen times over the last twenty four hours. Rebekah was over protective, she always had to know where Hope was. Taking one last look at her mobile, she switched it off and put it back into her jacket. As Hope trailed down the street once more, she came to a quick stop when she felt something. _

_Something was watching her. _

"_You must be Hope. A lot of people are looking for you."_

_She froze at the somewhat familiar voice and slowly turned around. She came face to face with what she guessed was another vampire,"...how do you know my name?"_

"_You're well known. I'm Marcel. Your f-"_

_He didn't get a chance to finish because Hope kicked him fiercely in the abdomen, sending him flying on top the top of a car. He lay there for a moment, groaning in pain as the metal dug into his lower back, she was strong, he hadn't expected anything else though. Before he could get up, she appeared above him, her fangs in view again. Her amber eyes stared into his own brown ones, brow furrowing for a moment, as if she was trying to place him somewhere in her mind but it was quickly gone. She raised her arm, ready to punch into his rib-cage, but he kicked her off of him._

_She landed on her feet, and he flashed in front of her,"I mean you no harm. But I need you to c-"_

"_Sorry...i was taught not to talk to strangers."_

_Hope picked up the metal she had killed Marko with and skilfully threw it at him. The impact of her throw caused him to loose his footing, and it went through his stomach. He tumbled to the floor, his eyes falling shut for a moment. Heels made their over to him, and he forced himself to open his eyes, meeting Hope's amber ones. She hissed at him, grabbing the metal. She pulled it out of him, and gripped it with her hands, then Hope's foot landed a harsh stomp over his heart. She stabbed him with the metal once more, through his shoulder, keeping him on the ground. _

_Hope kicked at a store window, grabbing at an old wooden wardrobe that was for sale, and she broke off a piece of it. His eyes widened fearfully, recognizing the same creative traits that Klaus had, that she had inherited. She broke it in half, tucking one piece into her jacket in case she would run into any other vampires that night. The metal was pulled back out when he tried to move and she stabbed him once more. He looked into her eyes, she seemed like she was controlled by the hybrid inside of her, like she had to feed it. She was out of control. He thought of something to make her stop, and when her hand came down, one that held the wood, he flinched. _

_He coughed, watching as the wood hovered over his ribcage,"I'm your brother!" She frowned, arching an eyebrow, and he added,"...well, your adoptive brother. I'm sure that you're aunt would be pissed if you killed one of your own."_

_This caused her to pause which told him that family, especially Rebekah, meant a lot to her._

_Sure that she had heard wrong, she asked him,"...what did you say?"_

_He didn't say anything, he was too focused on the wood. Assuming he was lying, she went to plunge it into his heart, but before she could, his arms shot out. With a fierce, quick move, he snapped her neck. The wood dropped onto the ground beside them, and Marcel let out a relived sigh. But when he pulled out the metal, he looked at her, and guilt flooded into his veins. He was right, she was sort of his sister, and after Klaus had compelled him to remember what had happened after Hope had discovered her powers, memories of holding her, of saving her had come back to him. Since that day he had vowed to help Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah and Hayley to help protect Hope._

"_They are gonna torture me for doing that...maybe you could put in a good word for me. You did attack me first. But knowing your father, he'll probably kill me before you wake up." He mumbled to nobody._

_Standing up on shaky legs, he stumbled slightly before he reached down and picked the girl up. After getting a proper look at her for the first time, he noticed how much she looked like her mother, but the eyes were all Klaus. Marcel inhaled sharply when the stab wounds began to heal before he walked in the direction of the The Abattoir._

"_Welcome home, my crazy, hybrid adoptive sister. You'll fit in well with the family."_

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><p><strong>Now<strong>

Rebekah pulled up at the The Abattoir, forgetting to close to car door as she ran as fast as she could inside, the only thought on her mind being her young niece. The ache in her heart was beginning to fade as she felt the familiar presence of Hope when she entered the Mikaelson home. She'd been going out of her mind ever since Hope had left their home, the original vampire couldn't remember a time where she had cried so much, when she had been so worried. Thoughts of Klaus still being mad with her left her mind, all she cared about in that moment was making sure that her niece was safe. The blonde sped into the front room, her gaze flickering around the room.

She let out a long sigh of relief, but frowned when she saw that Hope wasn't awake,"Hope. What happened?"

Her brothers, Hayley and Marcel raised the heads as they looked at the new presence in the room. The mother of the girl was still sitting next to Hope, holding onto her hand, not willing to be parted from her for another moment. Klaus, who was sitting on a chair opposite Hayley, met her eyes. Her eyes were wide with worry, but her expression held some sort of relief as she slowly walked over to the coffee table, passed Elijah who was standing behind Hayley's chair. Tears brimmed her eyes when she saw the blood on her face, sensing both human and vampire. Her clothes were also coated in red, hidden on her black jeans but clear on her white top.

"This is my fault...i should have been watching her, I should have noticed something. I sh-"

Rebekah was cut off when two, strong hands cupped her face, thumbs wiping her tears away. She glanced up and met Klaus' blue eyes that matched Hope's. His hands, usually holding a dagger or out to harm her, brought her comfort. There were no trace of anger towards her in his gaze. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"I won't say this again, remember that. This isn't your fault, Bekah. You have kept my daughter safe and loved for sixteen years, nothing that has happened is down to you."

Rebekah was the only sibling that he would ever show this kind of emotion towards, and if it happened, it was rare. It gave her more comfort than it did over the phone earlier, and she gave him a sad smile, her tears gone. He returned it and stepped away from her, any trace of his previous expression gone as he sat back down. The look in his eyes told everyone in the room to go on as it nothing had happened. His bitterness and coldness had slightly disappeared ever since Hope had been born. Though he had become closed off after years without her, but whenever he got pictures and letters from Rebekah, updating him on what was going on in her life, it would show some light in his eyes for days afterwards.

Hope was Klaus' light.

Klaus spoke up again, breaking the silence,"Marcel found her wandering the streets, she had gotten into a disagreement with a couple of our vampires. Tore them apart apparently, and by the smell of it, she's had a few bites on her way here. She tried to kill him, thinking he was some sort of threat, and he snapped her neck."

Rebekah's head shot up at the last words, but before she could jump at Marcel, Elijah held her back,"It's true, Rebekah. If it was a lie, I would have been able to tell. Hope doesn't need us arguing, she needs to wake up to support and understanding, remember that, sister."

Marcel stood up and sped over to the blonde vampire, towering over her. He could almost feel the emotions coming off of her as she stared at her niece. He could understand in a way, she'd spent sixteen years protecting her, loving her, raising her. By the way she looked at Hope, he knew how much she meant to Rebekah. He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze, and with a loud voice, he spoke slowly and calmly. He and Klaus had made amends over the past sixteen years, and it hurt him that they could think that he would hurt Hope.

He wanted everyone in the room to hear him, so that they had no doubt in their minds.

"I would never purposefully harm her, Rebekah. Even if I wanted to, there is no way...that girl is the most powerful, strongest opponent i've been up against and i've fought your brother. Any creature on this earth would be powerless against her. She's family...i would _never_ hurt my family."

Keeping quiet, she just nodded at the younger vampire before pulling up a chair next to Klaus, taking Hope's free hand in her own. As soon as her hand touched her niece's, the young girl sat up, letting out a loud gasp before she looked left and right. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she was stuck inside of a nightmare. Hayley stood up and placed a comforting hand on Hope's shoulder but, in her wild state, thinking that it was another threat, she shoved her mother away. Hayley lost her balance and fell back, crushing the chair behind her.

They all looked on in shock as she showed no sign of knowing what she had just done, her body was shaking. Her hair stuck to her face with sweat, looking like a wild animal in a cage.

"Hope..."Marcel started, hoping that since she had already met him, it would calm her,"they aren't a threat. None of us are."

Klaus jumped onto his feet, watching with wonder as Hope's eyes flashed amber once more, and her fangs caught his eyes when she growled warningly at them all. Her red veins appeared and she sped off of the coffee table, kicking it out of her way. He sped in front of her, blocking her way to the door, he wasn't going to lose her, not again. Elijah stopped behind her, attempting to stop her, but she pushed him away. His brother, no match for her, stumbled back into Marcel and the two landed on the floor next to Hayley. Klaus, unable to help himself, chuckled at this. She was fascinating, he fell in love with her all over again, just like he did when she first looked at him all those years ago.

"Calm down, baby wolf. We're not going to hurt you."He soothed and she came to a halt, as if she recognized his voice,"That's it, love...listen to me. I'm your _father_, i'd never harm you."

He took a step forward and her human face came forward, tilting her head, meeting the eyes that mirrored hers. His flashed amber and so did Hope's before she fell silent. Klaus smiled at her, his daughter had found her way home unknowingly. He hadn't looked into her eyes since he first held her, he bit his tongue to stop himself from showing emotion. His voice calmed her down slowly, it broke through the power of the hybrid and she focused on his voice and her racing heartbeat went back to normal. Rebekah, Hayley, Elijah and Marcel watched in surprise as she allowed him to come closer, her protective barriers breaking down.

"It's okay. Just let it go, fight the hunger, _own_ it. Don't let it take over you, the longer you let it get to you, the more it'll control you."

Her fists unclenched as Klaus' voice entered her mind, and her eyes screwed shut. She growled loudly, her fangs coming into view for a second but the more she fought back, it stopped. She ran her tongue across her teeth, feeling no sharp points, and she looked in the mirror behind her father, and saw her human face staring back at her. It kept trying to take over her, demanding that she feed her hunger, ordering her to obey it, and Hope fell the floor, on her knees in front of Klaus. She let out a painful scream, clutching her head, trying to do what her father told her, but it hurt, it hurt her to fight.

For the first time, Rebekah saw her niece cry as she tried her hardest to do what her father told her. She knew that Klaus was a hybrid, so she listened to him, she tried to fight. But it was stronger, it was slowly taking over her. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and falling onto the floor, she screamed again, curling into a ball. Klaus' eyes lost their light and he bent down, trying to pull her hands away from her head.

"Baby wolf? What's wrong, love?"

Her mother's voice joined in with Klaus,"Hope?"

Hayley whispered her name once more, making her way over to her, but her daughter snapped her fangs at her. The blonde Original, unable to take it any more, motioned for Hayley to stay back. Rebekah knelt in front of Hope, blocking her father's view of his daughter. He felt helpless as she cried in pain, pulling at her hair. He knew that she hated to show weakness, so if she was showing tears now, she must have been in pain. Klaus's jaw clenched as Rebekah brushed her hair away, doing _his_ job. He guided his sister away from her, she was his daughter, not Rebekah's.

She was home now, he was her father, if Hope was in pain, so was he. He had to stop it, there was no way the monster inside her was destroying her, she was not turning into him.

"Sister, i'll deal with her, thank you."

She said nothing as Klaus took her place in front of Hope. He grabbed her hands and set them in her lap, wiping her tears away, just like he did to Rebekah,"I know it's hard, sweetheart, but you have to fight it. I fought it, and it feels like someone is squeezing your heart in their bloody hands but fight. Fight it for yourself, for your _sanity."_

He held her against his chest as she screamed, yelled, pleaded and sobbed in pain. She needed to feed her hunger, that had been the only way she had been coping so far. But she had to control it, she had to master it, like Klaus and Hayley had. It was harder for her, but she needed to do it. Marcel clutched Rebekah to him as she cried for her niece and Elijah did the same with Hayley. He kept his own sobs at bay as his daughter thrashed around in his arms, stroking her hair comfortingly.

Unable to look at the screaming anymore, Rebekah pushed Marcel away and sped out of the front room and into Klaus' study. It physically hurt her to see Hope in pain. He kept her close as she slowly began to calm herself down, her sobs dying away until she was no longer struggling against him.

"That's it, baby wolf,"He whispered low enough so that nobody that hear,"_Shhhh_."

A few minutes later, she was completely still, her breathing being the only sound in the room. Elijah looked at his brother with pride at how he had handled the situation, a small smile on his face as Klaus rocked his daughter back and forth, oblivious to everyone else in the room. It wasn't until Hayley whispered her daughter's name again that Klaus looked up, the moment disappearing. Hope slowly pulled herself up, tears dry on her cheeks as she glanced around the room, her eyes flickering on the people she had heard of but hadn't seen before. Hayley sat up, hoping that she'd get to hold her daughter like Klaus had. Elijah held her close, telling her not to rush anything, they couldn't scare her off, not now.

Hope asked everyone,"W-Where is she? I-I want her..."

"Who?" Klaus asked, eyes narrowing.

"I want Bekah. Aunt Bekah? I know she's here."

Before she could blink, she was scooped up into Rebekah's arms, which were tight around her. She sighed, the knots in her stomach gone when she returned the embrace. Whenever Hope had a bad dream or whenever she felt alone, all she had to whisper was her aunt's name, and Rebekah would be there without a second passing. She never felt alone when her aunt was around, and she was sure that Rebekah felt the same. She could feel her aunt's tears on her skin as she sobbed and Hope felt bad for being the cause of that. Hope held her own tears back, she had missed her, even though they had barely been apart for a day and a half.

"I'm sorry, aunt Bekah. I'm sorry."

The older woman whispered,"Don't worry about that, love, it's forgotten, as long as you're okay. I should have known this was coming."

Hayley swallowed the lump in her throat, seeing the content look on Hope's face. She could understand how much Hope relied on and loved her aunt. She had been a surrogate mother for sixteen years, and the two were close, but it didn't stop the pain in her chest when her daughter asked for Rebekah instead of her.

It didn't stop the hurt she felt when Hope had pushed her away and hissed at her, but accepted Klaus' and Rebekah's comfort. She knew that her daughter had been out of control, but it still didn't make it hurt any less. She'd spent days, months and years wishing that she had been in Rebekah's place, holding her baby girl, reading to her at night.

Feeling like she might break if she looked at them for any longer, Hayley used her speed to disappear outside. She stopped at The Abattoir balcony, holding onto it fiercely so that she wouldn't fall. Her heart sunk into her stomach as she began to sob once more, crying was something she did a lot whenever it came to her daughter. She smiled when she saw her pictures, but that night she had cried in happiness and in sadness. She tried to keep silent and cupped her hand over her mouth, and once she let go of the balcony, she slid to the ground.

Elijah was soon beside her, his strong arms wrapping around her,"It'll come, Hayley. She just needs time, she's connected and close with Rebekah. She's familiar with her, right now it's her only source of comfort. Hope just needs to adapt, it'll take time, but it'll come."

"But did she allow Klaus near her but not me? It's not like he's a saint."

"He's spent the last 1000 plus years learning how to control the hybrid inside of him. Niklaus may be cold and sometimes down right cruel but I believe that he is the best person to help her right now. Yes, you could help her too, but not with this. I do believe he has her best intentions at heart, he always does when it comes to her, in his own way, we just have to trust him. We saw her obey him and show some trust towards him in there. If he would have been a threat, she would have known it straight away."

"I just want to be her mother, I just want her love me. Nobody loves her more than I do."

He wiped the wetness off of her cheeks,"You _are_ her mother and she _does_ love you, i'm sure of it. But, like I said, she needs to adjust to the changes that are happening to and around her. Rebekah is the person who is most close with her at the moment, she's Hope's comfort right now."

She nodded and Elijah kissed her temple before standing up, brushing off his suit as he did,"Now, dry your tears. Hope needs stability right now. I refuse to have her around any more tears or sadness, not now. This family will be whole, Klaus gave us his word and when it comes to Hope, I think he's really trying.

Hayley did what he asked of her and accepted the hand he held out. He smiled softly at her before he guided her back into the front room where every one else was. It was quiet, there were no screaming or tears. Hope was sitting on the couch, her head resting on Rebekah's shoulder, staring at everyone in the room. She somewhat recognized them from somewhere. As a young child, Hope was quicker and much more advanced than any other child, Rebekah had noticed this when her young niece began to write sooner than other children she'd seen.

She had started walking and talking earlier than what the blonde Original had expected. She had bought some children's books because she had no experience with children and Hope was further ahead than any other. Marcel was picking up things that Hope had knocked over and once he was done, he sat on a wooden chair across from his adoptive sister and her aunt. Hayley and Elijah sat on separate seats next to them, while Klaus was standing, leaning against the wall. They all sat in silence, keeping an eye on the youngest Mikaelson.

Hope was staring at Marcel, she knew him, she remembered his eyes, but she couldn't place him anywhere in her mind. The hybrid in her told her that he was familiar and Hope tilted her head, trying to put him in the puzzle that was her memory. Though some children couldn't remember much before five years old, Hope could pick out pieces, that was thanks to the vampire and werewolf inside of her. Her aunt, noticing how her niece was looking at Marcel, turned her head.

"What is it, love?"

Hope whispered back,"I know him, aunt Bekah...but I can't remember where from."

"You did try to kill me not two hours ago, kiddo. Killed two of our boys, too."

Marcel's cheery tone made them all somewhat smile apart from Hope, Klaus and Elijah. She shook her head, and then stood up, letting go of Rebekah's hand before she walked over to Marcel. Klaus watched with interest as she observed the vampire closely, and he felt proud again, she was smart. He hadn't been in a mood like this in a long time. He had been there for his daughter, he had helped her through one of the most hardest times of her life, and she had allowed him to help her. That meant that they had a connection, he could tell that she knew exactly who he was before he told her that he was her father.

It was the eyes that had confirmed it for her, there was no-one else with eyes like Klaus and Hope. He was positive that the hybrid would have known as-well after their eyes flashed amber at the same time. Now, she was gazing at Marcel, who was looking confused.

"It's not that. You're eyes, I know them from somewhere."

"He saved your life, baby wolf, that's where you recognize the eyes from. He protected you from the witches when you were born. He's your brother, love."

Hope narrowed her eyes, she had thought that he had been lying, and she stumbled back a few steps. She almost killed her adoptive brother. It hit her hard because she had promised Rebekah that she would never harm those closest to her. Klaus frowned, wondering what had got her so riled up, she looked like she was going to be sick. Rebekah, now standing, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I almost killed him, aunt Bekah. He told me that he was my..my."She couldn't get the word 'brother' out,"...and I almost killed him. If he hadn't did what he did, I would have torn him apart."

Elijah smiled once more, Rebekah had made sure to teach Hope that family comes above all. They all considered Marcel apart of the family, adoptive or not, especially Klaus. He could tell that she had morals and her own set of rules. Marcel got up onto his feet and stood in front of Hope, who looked pale. She showed no signs of any more tears, but her eyes were blank as she gazed at Rebekah, looking she had failed at something. He held out one of his large hands, catching Hope's attention.

"My name is Marcel. I'm your brother, though i'm not as crazy as the rest of them. I work with your father, he likes to remind everyone that he's King but we're equal. I'd like to get to know you, maybe you could teach me that stake trick, and how you managed to slice one of our boys in half."

Hope glanced at his hand, and Rebekah squeezed her shoulder, telling her it was okay. She gave him a half smile at his humor before shaking his hand,"My name is Hope. I kicked your ass, remember that."

"I will. You fight like your father and speak like you're aunt. No doubt she's drilled the 'strong woman' lecture into your head."

Rebekah rolled her eyes at him while Hope smiled again,"Don't worry, love, that's a compliment, especially the comment about me."

Marcel let out a chuckle then sat back down. Rebekah hugged her, and whispered into her ear."That's the Hope I remember, the one who jokes and laughs. My _strong_ niece."

Hope ran a hand through her hair, smiling for the first time in a long while and she looked around at she room. She could feel people staring at her as if she were something precious. Klaus was grinning for once, unable to help it after the way she spoke to Marcel. Hope let her eyes drift over the rest of the room, they landed on her father, and just by glancing at him she knew that he was the head of the family. She could almost feel the power coming off of him, and she was sure that Marcel and the two vampires had felt the same from her.

The smile fell from her face when she felt something around her, and Rebekah turned her to face the two people sitting behind her.

"Hope...meet your mother."

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><p><strong>Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	3. Baby Wolf Promises

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them, please keep them coming. I still hope that you like it._**

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><p>"<strong>Hope...meet your mother."<strong>

Encouraged by her aunt, the younger Mikaelson stepped closer to Hayley, who was now on her feet. Her mother didn't know how to react, she didn't want to scare Hope off, but at the same time she wanted to take her daughter into her arms and never let her go. The others stayed silent, not wanting to break the moment as they watched carefully. She felt Rebekah behind her, wanting to push the two brunette's together, but her aunt stayed quiet. Hope tilted her head, something the others noticed she seemed to do whenever she was thinking, letting her blue eyes trail over the older woman. That was when Hope realized how much they looked alike, her aunt had told her this from a young age.

Love and warmness were the only emotion Hope could see in Hayley's eyes, as her mother continued to stare at her. Though there was no doubt that she loved the woman in front of her, she couldn't feel the connection she felt with Rebekah, but was sure that they could form some sort of bond if Hope stayed a while. Then, all of a sudden, tears filled Hayley's orbs when she thought that her daughter didn't want to touch her. This struck Hope, just like it did whenever her aunt cried. This crumbled the protective barriers she had built for her mother, and the young girl took another step forward.

"I'm sorry, I can't stop crying, i'm sorry."Hayley mumbled, remembering Elijah's words from outside, annoyed with herself.

She didn't reply, and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around her mother and pulled her into an embrace. She'd never hugged anyone apart from her aunt, but it didn't feel wrong or uncomfortable, so she hugged her tighter. Her mother hugged her back just as much, she hadn't hugged her daughter for sixteen long years, and when Hayley finally got the chance to, she felt at peace. Hope, just like she had done with Rebekah, hugged her mother until she heard her stop sobbing, until she saw no more tears. The blonde behind her smiled, nodding to herself, she could tell that her niece didn't feel any resentment towards Hayley.

Rebekah had always reminded Hope how much Hayley loved her.

"_Nobody on this earth loves you more than your mother does, Hope. Every waking moment she lives, she lives for you. Every thought she has is of you. You're mother wants nothing more than the best for you."_

_Hope's head raised, and the four year old at her aunt,"What about you, aunt Bekah? Does she love me more than you love me?"_

"_A mother's love is different than an aunt's love, sweetheart. But there isn't an aunt in this world that loves their niece more than I love you."_

"You have no idea how much i've missed you, baby girl."

Hope swallowed the lump in her throat. She was never one to willingly show emotion, just like her father Rebekah had told her, Hope kept everything inside. She always tried to remain strong and put together during intense moments. She was a rock, she was the strong one, and she refused to let that go. Hayley continued to whisper and her daughter just held her close, doing her best to comfort the woman she had just met. She didn't hold any anger towards her mother, from the story she was told, the woman had no choice but to let her go, it was for the best. But it didn't mean that they would be close, that they would instantly have a mother daughter relationship.

Though, she was willing to try, Hope did want to know her mother.

After a few more minutes, Hayley reluctantly pulled away, a look on her face that hadn't been there since the day Hope was born. Her eyes weren't as detached and blank, they were warm. Tears streamed down Hayley's cheeks, and before she could stop herself, Hope wiped them away. She returned her mother's smile before she spun around back to her aunt, who grinned at her. Her mother slumped back into her seat, felling content with herself, now reassured that her daughter didn't hate her, that she did love her in her own way. Elijah rubbed her back, silently telling her that he had been right.

Klaus moved away from the wall and walked over to his daughter,"There's someone else you should meet, baby Wolf."

"There's more of you?" She mumbled to her aunt, making Klaus laugh.

"It's both a gift and a curse."

As if on cue, Elijah rose from the seat, dusting off his suit once more. Hayley looked at him properly for the first time. He looked just like her aunt had described when she was growing up. He was always dressed in the suit and had been described as the most loyal, protective and calm Mikaelson she would ever come across. He offered her a kind smile as Klaus guided his daughter towards her uncle.

"This, love, is Elijah." Klaus introduced her to the smartly dressed Original.

Elijah held out his hand in a polite manner, and Hope smiled brightly at him. Rebekah had spoken highly of him, like he was her hero. She knew that from the start, Elijah had been the one who had fought hardest for her, and would willingly die if it would keep his family safe and sound. Just like what she did with Marcel, she accepted his hand and shook it. Klaus could tell by the look on his older brother's face that this moment meant something to Klaus. He hadn't had a chance to properly see her when she first returned to them. He'd fought hard and endlessly for his niece since the moment she left town, though he had been against her leaving when she was born.

"It's a pleasure seeing you again, Hope. I can assure you that the vampires won't be bothering you again. Nor will anything else for that matter."

She nodded in thanks,"I appreciate it, thank you."

Her being with them, with her family, was Elijah's dream. He was sure that she was the key to their family being full once more. Elijah's words got Klaus thinking, and Marcel met his gaze, knowing that the hybrid was worrying about. After they had defeated their parents, ending them both for good, Klaus, Hayley and Elijah had went on their revenge spree. Hayley had wanted to torture everyone who had driven her baby girl away, she had lost her mind and her hybrid along with her grief of losing her daughter had taken over. They had killed off whatever enemies they had left, and for the last year it had been peaceful. But Klaus was sure that if two of his men were brave enough to attack his daughter, than more of his army would.

"What happens if others come after me? Do I get to kick their asses, too?"

Klaus smiled wickedly before Elijah replied,"Once news gets out that you're not dead like they thought, some might try and attack. If we stand together, Hope, it will no doubt scare off most of our enemies. Some won't come after us out of respect, not for us but for you. Only the idiotic and the vengeful ones will dare show up on our doorstep. Most of them ran away from us after our rampage following our mother and father's demise."

"Respect for me? What does that mean?"

"No doubt you know that you're the most powerful being on this earth at the moment, Hope. They have no choice but to respect you, just like they have no choice but to show respect to us because we're the Original family. Any real, damaging threat we had are gone, but there are still creatures arrogant enough to try and take what is ours. They would try and use you against us as a weapon since Niklaus has made many enemies over the years."

She nodded, but Rebekah could see the hesitance in her eyes. She could see how hard it was for her to take it all in,"This is your home, it is more guarded and more peaceful than it was sixteen years ago, love. Right now, there isn't much to worry ourselves over, at this moment all we have to do is keep the vampires in line. Then we can focus on helping you then being a family once again."

Hope felt a bit overwhelmed at how far they were willing to go to make sure that she was safe. She could take care of herself but, after seeing how much they clearly loved her and wanted her to be happy, she finally understood what her aunt had been telling her over the years. She had never felt alone, she had never felt unloved growing up, even from afar her extended family had taken care of her and had loved her. The more she observed them, the more she saw a small part of herself in each one of them. She had Elijah's protectiveness and loyalty, Hayley's fierce need to be independent and Rebekah's love for her family. But out of all of them, she saw most of herself in Klaus. She had his personality. Both of them hid their true emotions, they were passionate about their loved ones and weren't ashamed of showing how powerful they were.

Though she could see the anger in his eyes that had been there for a long time, long before she was born. When she had asked about her father, Rebekah had told her about their father Mikael and how he had treated Klaus like he worthless. She had also told Hope that for a long while her father had locked everyone out and had distanced himself from people around him. He was terrified that those closest to him would leave him one day or would love someone more than they loved him and did everything he could to make sure that didn't happen, especially with Rebekah. He had become obsessed with being the most powerful creature on earth, and wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted.

"_You're father wants you to have everything he never had from his father. He wants to comfort you when you cry. He wants to protect you from the monsters underneath your bed. He wants to make you smile when you're sad. He wants to read to you and paint with you. But most of all, Hope, you're father wants you to love him just like he loves you."_

_Hope tore her eyes away from her wooden knight that she kept on her bedside table. She had been playing with it while her aunt read to her,"Why would he think that I don't love him, Aunt Bekah?"_

"_Because he feels like he doesn't deserve love, sweetheart. That's why he pushes people away. He feels like he's not worth loving because his parents didn't show him love and everyone that has tried to show him different, he just can't accept it."_

_She smiled up at the blonde before she looked back down at the knight,"Then i'll make sure to tell him every day when I see him. I'll tell him when I wake up and before I go to sleep. Daddy won't feel alone ever again. I won't leave him, never ever."_

He was lonely and wanted nothing more than to find someone that would love him unconditionally.

"Right, I think it's time that we go and take care of our boys, Klaus. Best to do it now than later."

Elijah's head snapped up and he frowned,"I think it's better if I go with you, Marcel. I'm afraid that if my brother goes, it'll end up being a bloodbath, especially with this matter."

Marcel just nodded then said goodbye to Hope and the Original followed the younger vampire out the door. He was right, if Klaus had went with Marcel, it would have quickly gotten out of hand. When it came to his daughters safety, there was no reasoning with Klaus. He would have probably driven e a stake through their hearts before they had began negotiating. He could be hot headed when he was already in a mood and it was best to stay away from Klaus whenever he was in that state of mind, especially if you were fighting against him. Klaus trailed over to his daughter, and offered her a grin, ready to say something he had been wanting to say for a long while.

"Ready to see your room, baby Wolf?"

Hope arched an eyebrow,"I've got a room?"

"Of course you do,"Hayley spoke up,"This is your home."

Every few years, Elijah and Klaus would find Hayley in Hope's room decorating it. She would spend days upgrading it from when she had last decorated it, hoping that it would finally be the year that her baby girl would come home. They had left her to it, even Klaus, who had wanted to join her. But the bedroom had been the last place she and Hope had been alone, and he didn't want to take that away. They were both dealing with losing her in different ways. The first time she had decorated the room had been when Hope turned six after she had showed her hybrid nature, but that had been shattered when New Orleans became another war zone.

"_She's coming home soon. I can feel it...my baby is coming home."_

She wasn't right the first few times. After that it had been when she was ten, then followed by fourteen until finally her sixteenth birthday came and went. Hayley had been convinced that the time had come, and she had been right. Hayley had refused to come out of the bedroom until she had decorated it perfectly for her daughter. Klaus had spent the years painting, like he did whenever he wanted to get lost in his mind for a while. Most of his new paintings were of Hope. Some of him and her, when he had first held her, the memory had been burned into his mind.

"This place is huge. How do you find your way around...do I need a map or something?"

He chuckled as they walked up the stairs to the second floor,"The space comes in useful whenever you want to avoid Elijah and his lectures on morals."

She followed them along the hallway before they came to a stop at the bedroom attached to Hayley's. Her eyes widened with bewilderment as they entered the room. The walls had been painted charcoal gray with while trims, and tufted queen size bed was in front of the window, giving her a clear view of Klaus' painting of New Orleans that hung on the opposite wall across the bed. String lights hung from the walls, brightening up the room, reminding her of the streets outside. A desk was pressed up against one of the walls while a reading chair was placed where the rocking chair used to be and an antique white wardrobe was opposite the desk.

Her mother had worked hard on the room, while Klaus had hung some of his best paintings along the walls.

_Aunt Bekah was right...i get my painting ability from him._

Hayley, somewhat nervous, which was something she rarely was, asked her,"Do you like it? I didn't know what you w-"

"No, really, it's amazing. You must have spent ages on it."

Klaus watched as Hayley fought her tears, happy that she had done something right for the young girl, and eyed her as she trailed over to one of paintings. It was of him and Hope, just before he had given her away, when he had spent a few moments alone with her. She was sleeping in his arms, and that night he hadn't taken his eyes off of her for a second. He felt like he had drowned in her, expecting her to disappear at any moment. He couldn't believe that she was his, that she belonged to him. When she was born, he felt like he had finally found something to truly fight for.

"Rebekah said I paint like you...but compared to this, mine is kindergarten work."She turned and looked at him.

"Though I bet 1000 years of experience gives you a head start."

"What do you paint, love?"

"...i don't really think about it, I guess. Bekah says, i usually paint when i'm angry or lost. I lock myself away for hours, and don't leave until I feel better, like i've let it out. Emotion is inspiration, I guess."

Klaus nodded, he did the same, especially since Hope had been away. He would paint what he wished their life would have been like, he would paint his daughter being there with his family, growing up in the city he had fought for, all for her. He remembered once saying that painting was a metaphor for control, that every choice was his and he was sure that those words were one of his truths because ever since he had handed his daughter to Rebekah, he had spent most of his time panting the life he wished he had with Hope if he had control over the situation. Tilting his head, he carefully watched her as she gazed at the paintings, captivated by the colors.

Then, she walked over to the window and smiled when she saw the lights before asking her father,"This is all yours?"

Hayley, knowing that Klaus would be more open if he was alone with his daughter, left the room. She had gotten her moment with her daughter and, apart from when he had held her when she was fighting with the hybrid, he hadn't. She was greeted Rebekah in the front room, pouring herself a drink. Klaus joined Hope near the window, smiling to himself as the two stared at the city.

"Actually, love, it's ours. As far as you're eyes can see."

Her eyes widened,"Really?"

"A princess has to have her own kingdom, doesn't she?"

Hope laughed softly,"But New Orleans? Why did you fight so hard to make this city your own? There are thousands more all over the world."

He turned turned from the window and leaned against the wall, facing her. If anyone else had asked him, he probably would have seen it as some sort of disrespectful tone. But she truly did sound interested. He could have any city or town he wanted, he could have had several but she couldn't understand what was so special about New Orleans. They were larger cities, with more people he could turn to make his army larger. Klaus crossed his arms over his chest, glancing out the window once more as he thought of his answer.

"...we helped build New Orleans into the city it is today."He started before his voice dropped into a tone that told her he meant what he was saying,"It was the first place that felt like home until we were chased away. We were happy here. It took more than one hundred years before I returned, and during that time I had never felt at home anywhere else."

His smile dropped as the memory of his father finding up entered his mind. Even after he had ended him, he still haunted Klaus, he still managed to strike some sort of fear in him. He was still tortured about all the times he had beaten him to a bloody pulp, something that his other siblings never experienced. He had destroyed Klaus until beyond repair, he had chased him, drove him away from any place he found some sort of peace. Hope remembered her aunt telling her about them being chased away from New Orleans, but she never added more than that, she never knew the real story. Though when Rebekah had refused to tell her the rest of the story, she had looked like she had done something wrong, like she had a guilty conscience.

"...my father chased us away. He made it his mission to kill his me."

Before she could stop herself, she said to him,"Excuse my language, but he sounds like a dick. Though, if you think of it, no matter how much damage he's done to you, you can turn it around. You are one of the most powerful beings in the world and have an empire, and he's burning in a special place in hell. He was a monster who prayed on whatever he could, which was you when you were human, but you won the war. You fought him and won."

"I'm much worse than he is, love. I don't know what Rebekah has told you, but i've left behind a trail of enemies and bloody corpses."

"Have you forgotten my own trail of bodies? I'm sure you've done some horrible things, but you can't name someone who hasn't and I don't blame you. But, even though you, aunt Bekah and Elijah have done terrible things to eachother, when it comes down to it, you fight for one another. His actions towards his family come out of a place of cruelty, he lived to make you feel worthless. If you ask me, you're father is the _abomination_, not you."

He blinked, then after a moment of thinking he asked,"What makes you say that, little Wolf?"

"Because you're nothing like him when it comes to this. You fought to keep me alive, safe, loved and you did whatever you had to do to keep it that way. You may be feared and hated across the rest of the world, but compared to your own father, you're actions towards me have kept me safe. Bekah says that even after all the troubles you two have had, that you've always been there, and that between you and my mother, i'm more like you."

"Well, aren't you unlucky, love?"

"No...i'd say i'm lucky. It may be a curse to the people I come across, but I have more power and abilities than anyone else in this world. I'm hard to get along with, I don't trust but those closest to me, and sometimes I can be downright selfish. But I have more love and loyalty around me than anyone else."

According to Rebekah, Hope had no tolerance for people other than her family. She wouldn't think twice before killing anyone who would be a threat to those she loved. As she grew older, she had become more hidden with her emotions and after she had her first feed, human life had stopped meaning anything to her. If she was hungry, she would feed, and couldn't feel any remorse. Like her father, her temper was something that she couldn't control, which had been set off when Marko had insulted her. Though, unlike her father, Hope would never take anything out on her aunt. Her aunt was treated with the respect and love that she deserved, and if Hope ever saw someone treating her with less than that, they didn't live to see the next day.

She had done that when they had went on another rare day trip out which had been her sixteenth birthday. A man had bumped into her aunt and didn't bother to apologize to her after cursing at her. For some reason, Rebekah hadn't done anything about it, mostly because the town was crowded and she didn't want to wreck their day trip. She refused to show any violence in front of her niece, she saw it was poor manners, though she had no idea what Hope got up to at night. But, after Rebekah had gone to get them some ice cream from the store down the street, Hope had taken the distraction and used it to her advantage. She had fed on him as painful and as quick as she could, then snapped his neck before throwing his body into the nearest alleyway.

Klaus, swallowing the lump in his throat, grinned at her,"Not many people would feel that way about being like me. I've come across those who are similar, but they always leave one way or another."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll never leave you, i'll never betray you or stand against you, and every soul that wishes us harm will be struck down just as sure as you blood runs in my veins."

Klaus looked at her with wide eyes, the words she had spoken had never left his memory for sixteen years. Before he could ask her where she had heard it from, she dug into her jacket pocket and fished out the wooden knight Rebekah had placed in her crib when she was a baby then it had moved to her bedside table as she got older. She had taken it with her wherever she went and it stayed with her. Her aunt spoke about her father a lot, telling her that he was always with her, waiting for his princess to return to her castle. She held out her hand, and tears glassed over Klaus' eyes as he took it from her. She took a step closer to him, as he gazed at it.

_The five year old snuggled closer to her aunt, dry tears on her cheeks,"When will daddy come for us, aunt Bekah? When will I get to see him?"_

"_You will return to your daddy, love. He's making the castle safe for his princess, remember, he's fighting to make it your home. Now, stop the tears, the princess has to be strong for the king. No nightmares will hurt you, that's why you have the brave knight. Any soul that wishes you harm, will be struck down just as sure as your daddy's blood runs in your veins, sweetheart. There's nothing to fear as long as you have the brave knight."_

"_Can I sleep here until the storm ends, aunt Bekah?"_

_Nodding with a smile, Rebekah wrapped her arms around Hope protectively before she switched off the lamp next to her king sized bed. Her niece had run into her bedroom after having a nightmare, but she was mostly scared of the rain storm going out outside. _

"_Hush now, love, the storm will be ending soon. I'm sure of it."_

"Aunt Bekah told me that every night whenever I couldn't sleep, it chased away the nightmares, I guess."

Klaus wiped his eyes, angry that he was showing so much emotion, before he raised his eyes to meet Hope's. He could tell that she was serious, that she meant what she was saying. She was just like him, only she hadn't gotten lost in the darkness, she had learned from a young age that there was nothing stronger than family. Not one for emotion either, she hesitantly held out a hand, and if it had been anyone else, he would have shoved them away. Though, Hope understood it, she had almost jumped away when her mother had hugged her for the first time. But, when she encouraged him with her gaze, he copied her and her hand grasped his, squeezing it tightly, if he had been human his hand would have broke.

Then with a tone that would have made any enemy drop to their knees for mercy, she whispered,"You fight, I fight. You go to war, so do I. We stand together and if anyone dares to break that, to destroy this family, we destroy them. Sound familiar?"

He smirked at her before a voice entered the room,"Well when you spend a thousand years with someone, they do rub off on you."

They turned and looked as Rebekah came walking into the room. She looked at their hands before she reached out and covered them with her own. Hope smiled at her aunt, who just grinned at her in return. Then, soon they felt another presence join them. Elijah appeared next to Klaus, blood on his collar and on his white shirt. He placed his hand on top of Rebekah's, happy that for the first time in a long while, his family had began to mend.

"They've agreed to our terms, Niklaus, though do I suggest that we hire someone to clean up the mess outside. It's not a display that my niece should come across."

"You can be persuasive when you want to be, big brother."

Elijah hid his smile as Marcel came strolling into the bedroom, looking like he'd been through a war. His previously neat and clean clothing were now coated in blood. He and Elijah had made a dramatic scene to enforce their agreement. When they had first laid down the agreement, there were some of them who were against it, though after a fight that the vampires had lost, they had agreed. But two vampires had flat out refused, they wanted a piece of Hope after what she had done to their friends, and when they had bravely made threats towards Elijah, his calm had gone. Though usually polite and charming, whenever it came to those he loved, Elijah wasn't one to show mercy. He had ripped out their hearts in front of the vampires before asking the others if they had a problem with the agreement.

They didn't.

Marcel stopped next to Rebekah, an amused look on his face,"Your brother has a dark side, Klaus, I don't ever want to be on it."

"They should have shown some respect, especially towards a woman. It's ill mannered to speak of those who aren't there." Elijah replied, making Hope smile, she liked the way he spoke, it seemed polite, even though he could be threatening someone.

He was about to leave them to their moment, but Klaus gestured for him to join. After what he had done to protect Hope and to make sure that she wasn't bothered, he deserved to be apart of their family vow. He placed wiped his bloody hand on his shirt before doing what he was told, his speech had definitely made an impact. Hope felt her mother enter the room, and Hayley stood next to her daughter. She had been listening, they could all tell by the beaming look on her face. Hope motioned for her to put her hand down, and she quickly did.

They stayed quiet as Elijah began to speak, none of them daring to speak, they knew that he took things like this very seriously. If they all took something to heart, it was this, family vows were something the Mikaelson family held in high honour. Marcel had been apart of one after spending a few decades with Klaus, who considered him a son. They were all taking it for Hope and to remind themselves the meaning of a true family bond. Elijah's calm but serious tone sent them into silence, and they listened to each word carefully.

"At this moment, we promise each-other to stay together, no matter what may come our way. We stick together and stand firm as one against all that dare to work against us. Always and forever."

Klaus and Hope nodded at one another before they both whispered at the same time,"Always and forever."

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><p><strong>Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes. **


	4. Hell To Pay

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews. If you want more, keep them coming. In this chapter I show the lengths Hope would go for her family. This chapter is about who Hope __is__, I told you she had a lot of her father inside of her. I hope you like it._**

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><p><strong>Two Weeks Later<strong>

"**Aunt Bekah, stop stealing my food."**

"I'm doing nothing of the sort!"

"You're a horrible liar, you always look at your hands when you lie. I love you, but there are certain things I don't share, and that's food."

Klaus smirked to himself as he entered the kitchen, seeing his sister and his daughter sitting at the small breakfast table across from the counter. Rebekah was reading a gossip magazine while Hope was munching on her pancakes that her aunt had made her. She was also eating grapes on the side, going between the two. It surprised him that Rebekah had learned how to cook over the years, and by the looks of it she was a good one. Elijah was sitting at the table too, occupied by an old looking book. The two girls continued to bicker and he poured himself a cup of tea as he watched his brother out of the corner of his eye. Elijah had a rare look of frustration on his face, something that had made Klaus' morning much better.

When they were younger, Elijah had always been stuck in the middle of his siblings bickering, whether it was between Kol and Klaus, or Rebekah and Klaus. Though as they got older, they had learned to keep it away from Elijah because even though he was calm and collected, his tone always brought an end to their bickering. But Kol never seemed to listen, especially after they had turned, he was always poking fun at how 'old fashioned' his brother was. Though, even Kol knew whenever to stop, Elijah's eyes would turn darker and his younger brother would go silent. Elijah sighed once more and tried his best to focus on his book. Klaus smirked at the two women, who were now laughing, he assumed that it was like this when Rebekah and Hope lived together for all those years.

"Aunt Bekah, make your own food!"

Rebekah grinned at her,"I did make it, love."

Hope rolled her eyes and picked up a grape before throwing it at her aunt. Though, because of her laughing, she didn't throw it in the right direction, and it hit Elijah's book. Because of the strength behind the throw, the grape burst in the middle of the page. Everyone, including Klaus went silent as Elijah slowly revealed his face behind the book, placing it on the table. Hope couldn't see the emotion on his face, like always he was stone faced, though because of the situation, laughter passed her lips. She cupped a hand over her mouth as Elijah shook his book, letting out a long breath as he saw the wet stain on the old page.

"It's not lady-like to throw food, Hope. Though, living with my sister all those years, i'm certain you didn't learn much manners. Rebekah was never one for such things."

His sister arched an eyebrow,"I didn't throw it at you, Elijah!"

"I know but she must have learned it from somewhere, sister, a child is a mirror of those she is brought up by these days. In our time we practically brought up ourselves, but kids in this time are much different. Anyways, you shouldn't encourage such behaviour, Rebekah."

The young girl put on her best innocent expression,"Sorry for ruining your book, Uncle Elijah."

"Thank you, Hope."

He went back to his book, face hidden once more, and Hope stuck out her tongue at her aunt before getting back to her food. Inwardly smiling, Rebekah huffed childishly, proving Elijah's point, then stood up and made her way over to her other brother. She poured herself a hot beverage, and went to speak to Klaus, but he was too busy looking at his daughter. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she first entered their home, as if he were convinced that she was going to disappear, like he were living some sort of dream. Hope was now sitting next to Elijah, asking him what he was reading, and he politely told her. Soon, the two were talking about the book, which told Klaus that the two were going to be close.

He looked at her closer, at how she was quick to laugh at herself and others. For a hybrid and part witch, she wasn't as dark as he was when he first became what he was, she wasn't pulling away from those closest to her. Klaus had closed himself off bit by bit, the longer he spent with his family, the more he drowned in himself He had taken it out on everyone, especially his sister because she had been the one who he had been closest to, but Hope had only gotten closer to her aunt. Though she treated outsiders differently, she had no tolerance for humans. He had been teaching her how to feed with limitations, not to drown in them, but use them to her advantage.

But she hadn't taken it well, she saw people as food, nothing else. Though, he couldn't deny, he felt the same way, he only used them when they had something he wanted. She was a quick and eager learner, ready to explore her abilities and power. Klaus was teaching her how to hunt and how to use her powers, something she was enjoying. The two had even gone a few miles out of New Orleans, if not, she would have probably killed the whole city. They needed to keep some people alive, otherwise it would stop the tourists from coming and that wouldn't help anyone. Sometimes they were gone days on end, and in Elijah's opinion, they were like two troublesome children. Her mother was teaching her about her background, well whatever information Hayley had picked up on over the years. Elijah was doing the same, he was telling Hope about their family, from start to end. She had heard information from her aunt, but only the important bits and pieces.

"Is she always this..."

Rebekah sat on the stool next to him and finished his sentence,"Relaxed? She's like you in many ways, Nik, but that doesn't mean she can't laugh once in a while."

He sent her a look,"She's calmed down a lot since she's been here, before she left, she was locked up in her room most of the time, I didn't sense anything off, she is a teenager after-all, they're all gloomy. Before the hybrid took over, Hope was like this. She enjoyed insulting my cooking, took over the TV and insisted on listening to that horrid music that sounds like a damn cable car crash. Though...one thing has changed."

Klaus saw the smile on Rebekah's face,"What's that?"

"She's stopped asking about when her father was coming to take us home."

The two looked up as Hayley entered the room, running a hand through her hair as she yawned. As she passed, she smiled brightly at her daughter, who returned it before getting back to the book she was looking at with Elijah. She laughed when she read a paragraph of the Original family. Elijah had kept the books in boxes he had carried with him over the centuries. Then she raised her head and looked at her uncle with a curious expression.

"If you guys are in books like these, will i?"

Klaus chuckled and spoke up,"You're reading books about yourself, brother? A bit egotistical, don't you think?"

"I'm teaching her about family history, Niklaus. She enjoys reading and i'm lending her the books on our family I have picked up over the years." He turned to his niece,"Though I do hope that you aren't going to get any more food on them, otherwise you'll have to sit and listen to the story from myself."

"I don't recommend that, love, you'll bore yourself into a coma."

Elijah sighed at his brother while Hope continued to read the page she was on,"Are you quite finished, brother? I don't think anyone here finds you amusing apart from yourself."

"I'll take care of your books, Uncle Elijah. You have my word."

Elijah nodded and smiled thankfully at her before he stood up,"Now if you all don't mind, I have a meeting with Marcel about some fights that have been going on among our vampires at St. Anne's Church. It's been brought to my attention that some are not quite happy with our agreement. It seems that they didn't get the message from our last encounter."

The smile dropped from Klaus' face and he sped over to his brother. While Rebekah began to make some more breakfast for her and the other two girls, Hayley walked over to the table then sat down on Elijah's chair. She began to read the page that her daughter was on, all while the three of them listened in on the brothers. Elijah shrugged on his jacket over his suit, fixing his collar as he watched Hayley and Hope.

Questions spilled out of him as he tried to control his anger,"Why haven't I been informed about this, Elijah? Why is it at St. Anne's Church? What's wrong with the yard?"

"Because you have a temper that overrules your negotiation skills, Niklaus and no doubt you would be eavesdropping. That's why i decided to hold the meetings elsewhere. Also, if it does get heated, they might try to attack. I can assure you that if there is any real threat, if they refuse to abide by our rules, they will be dealt with. Just like last time."

"I warned you what I would do if this happened again. I will not have my daughter be targeted in her own bloody city!"

Klaus moved towards the door but Elijah grabbed him and tugged him back,"Niklaus, you are to stay here. I will not have you wandering the city when you are hell-bent on revenge. Let me deal with this matter once more and if my strategy doesn't work, I will hand them to you myself. I give you my word."

Klaus looked back at the three and reluctantly nodded, knowing that he would have went there with a stake himself. Elijah said goodbye and sped out of the kitchen just as Rebekah finished off her cooking. He reached over and grabbed the book from Hope's hands, placing it on the counter behind him. Then he sat down across from her, a smirk playing at his lips when she looked at him.

He could tell that she was getting stressed being stuck in their home most of the day. She had only been out with Klaus when he had been teaching her because Elijah had told her to keep low for a small while. Though Elijah hated doing it, he felt like he had broken some sort of promise to her since he had been the one that had said she wouldn't feel like a prisoner.

"Family history is boring. How about we go see your kingdom, baby Wolf?"

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><p><strong>St. Anne's Church<strong>

"She is the reason two of my friends are dead, I thought that was against the rules!"

"That girl is the daughter of one of our leaders, whether we like it or not. It's best if we keep our mouths shut because the other option is being ripped apart by one of them and I know which one I prefer."

The voices fell silent as Marcel and Elijah entered the room and they all tried their best to keep the fear from their faces when they saw the stone cold expression on the Original's face. Elijah sat down on the chair Marcel pulled out for him, standing behind it, backing the older man up as they both looked over the vampires sitting at the table. Those who had been brave enough to speak their minds a few moments earlier were now quiet, hoping that Elijah hadn't heard something they had said.

Those who were reluctantly following their kings glared at the others as they kept quiet. Their last meeting had been enough to force them to keep their opinions to themselves once Elijah and Marcel had showed them what would happen if they didn't keep to the agreement.

"Thank you all for coming but i do wish that it was under better circumstances. I have been informed that there have been some disagreements among you all concerning my niece's presence in the city."

"We aren't s-"

Elijah cut off one of the vampire's that was trying to speak,"I wasn't finished, thank you. Need I remind you all that this city rightfully belongs to Hope? You aren't just disrespecting Marcel or Niklaus but Hope as-well. She is your Queen. The contract said that she would take over her city when she officially turned sixteen, and that was a few months ago. Though, under special circumstances, Marcel and my brother have been running things on her behalf until she is ready to take over. When she is, she isn't going to stand for this behavior, if this happens, my brother would have to intervene."

They shifted uncomfortably in their chairs as Marcel nodded along. They had all fought to keep the city for her, so that she would have some place to call home. Elijah would not allow any disrespect towards their rightful leader. He folded his hands and leaned forward, tilting his head as he let his eyes wander over the vampires. Marcel and Elijah were the calm ones, and would do whatever they could to sort the problems out, whereas if they weren't, Klaus was allowed to have his fun. Though there were rare times where Elijah let his own temper take over whenever it got too far.

The werewolves, surprisingly, were easier to agree to the terms. The werewolves had much more power than they used to thanks to Hayley. The mother wanted both of Hope's genes to have equal power, and had come down harder then ever before when some refused to agree to it. Though the reason they had agreed to the terms was because they had spent sixteen years convinced that they had killed Klaus' daughter, and had been waiting for their lives to finish. So when a chance came up to get on his good side, they had agreed without question. Then, all of a sudden, Hope had returned, and as long as she was there, safe and sound, their lives were spared.

"If you guys don't play along and keep your mouths shut, we're going to have to call up Klaus, and no matter how much I love my guys, i'll stand aside and let him have his fun."

Marcel's words hit them hard, he always fought on their side, no matter what. But he had made a vow to his sister to always stand with her and he was going to keep that promise. Though it didn't stop how hurt the vampires felt at this. One of them bravely stood up and walked over to Marcel, a defiant look on his face.

"She killed two of us, Marcel, two! What is she going to do next? I thought that it was against the rules. You are nothing but a traitor!"

"Say that again, Tony, I dare you. This is her city and she was defending herself."

He was later joined by three others who got onto their feet,"Just because she can't be killed doesn't mean she can't be hurt, right?"

Marcel went to take all four of them out, but before he could take a step, Elijah held up his hand, stopping him. The older man felt something familiar in the air, and he kept quiet as they encouraged others to join them. He sat back and watched the vampires cheer the first one who had stood up. After a few seconds, Marcel felt it too. He hated being called a traitor, he was defending his family. The vampires were apart of him but there would be no trouble if they just stepped in line and he was feeling what Klaus must have felt when he came back to New Orleans.

Though the four that wanted revenge were out numbered. Over sixteen years, their army had grew, and now they had close to five hundred scattered around New Orleans. But Klaus' army was also around the world, and he was a big name around vampires and werewolves, so some that weren't in his army, were willing to fight for than against him. Though there were only around thirty at the meeting, and whenever a decision was made, they spread the word around.

Elijah, who was keeping his anger at bay, looked up at Marcel when he felt the presence get closer, listening in,"Young vampires are so arrogant."

Tony pulled out a knife from his pocket, and stabbed it in the wood of the table, the loud noise shutting the others up,"I say, we go find her and show her how our boys must have felt. If she isn't brave enough to face us without her guards around her, she's nothing but a coward."

All of a sudden Tony was lifted into the air. They couldn't see the person who was standing behind him, but before they could act, a hand was punched through the vampire's chest, and came out the other side, heart clutched in their hand. Shocked gasps filled the church as their friend was thrown aside, and behind him stood Hope with a small but wicked grin on her face. She held out her hand and dropped the heart onto the table. She then shook her hand, blood dripping off of it, and Elijah handed over the handkerchief that was in his suit pocket. He handed it to her and she accepted it with a nicer smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Elijah."

"You're welcome. You should know that at any other time, I wouldn't condone this since i clearly ordered you all to stay at home, though considering the situation, i'm going to let it slide."

"Sorry for the entrance."She said with a polite tone before she added,"To those who don't know who i am, my name is Hope."

Their eyes went wide and the vampires that were standing against the rules, sped away towards the exits. But at each exit that was possible, stood a stronger presence than them. Klaus stood at the door, and Hayley and Rebekah stood at other exits. The other twenty six vampires sat still in their seats around the large table, trying not to look at the grey body of their friend. They all hissed at the vampires before telling them to get back to the table, which they did without a second thought. Hayley, Rebekah and Klaus made their way over to the table, now joining Marcel behind Elijah while Hope stood at the opposite end.

"Niklaus, I thought I told you to stay at home. I assume that you are the reason they are disobeying me."

Klaus smirked at his brother,"I was going to but then I realized that I do my best thinking when i'm hell-bent on revenge. Also, I was showing my daughter the sights of the city, brother, when i heard one of these miserable bastards speaking out of turn."

The three were looking anywhere but at Klaus, who was radiating with anger, and wearing a tight smile,"Now, is anyone going to explain what is going on?"

Hope sat down on the seat that the now dead vampire had been sitting on, glaring at them all as their words echoed in her mind. Though they basically worked for her didn't mean she cared for them, she didn't care for anyone outside her family. She reached over and picked up a knife that had been laying on the table, belonging to Tony, so she decided that it was hers now. She ran her finger along the blade as Klaus stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. Hayley and Rebekah stood at each side of the table, making sure that none of them made a move.

"Go on, show yourself, mate. I want to know which one of you started this so that i can reach down your throat and pull out your insides. If you don't, i'll have to personally rip out each of your tongues so that you can still work for Hope but won't be able to speak ever again."

It was quiet for a moment before one of the three vampires that had been against them stood up once more, his arms across his chest, sticking his chin out. He tried to show that he wasn't scared, but Hope could almost taste his fear.

"I-It was me. Marko was my brother and there should be some consequences for his death. Everything was going fine until she turned up, it sh-"

His sob speech was cut short when Klaus grabbed the knife out of Hope's hand and threw it at the vampire. It stabbed him in the neck, underneath his jawline, and he fell on top of the one who had gotten his heart ripped out. The two other vampires who were still against Hope swallowed thickly as they heard their friend scream in pain. He had been expecting death, not this, which meant Klaus thought killing him would be too merciful. He pulled the knife out and threw it away, but before it could land on the ground, Hope's hand shot out and she wiped the blood away with the handkerchief Elijah had given to her.

Will, one of the older ones stood up,"So that's how it's going to be? One of you gets pissed off and tears a few of us apart, but if we dare to speak against you, against her, to put our views across, we still get killed?"

"That's the gist of it, mate, yes. This is our city and you aren't family, you're not friends, you are ou-"

"Bitches?" Hope broke in, her usual cheeky smile on her face when Elijah sent her a disapproving look, but she could see the amusement in his eyes though he tried to hide it.

"I don't see how that is helping, Hope."

"Well I just thought that the word 'lap dog' was too much of a werewolf pun. But when I think of it, it's not that funny."

Marcel chuckled at the authoritative tone in Elijah's voice and Hope grinned at her brother while her father fought to keep the mask on his face. Rebekah just rolled her eyes and smiled, familiar with her niece's attitude before she began to toy with her nails, now bored of the situation.

Elijah spoke loudly to rid the laughter from Hayley,"We put an agreement in front of you and you all signed it. I shall remind everyone that you are the ones who broke it, not us, so this is down to you."

Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and made sure to make his eyes flash before he said in a dark voice,"Normally I would go a different way at dealing with such disrespect, such as burning you alive. But my moral brother, wants some sort of peace for my daughter and i am willing to agree to it considering who i'm doing it for"

The hybrid reached down and picked up the vampire he had stabbed, and to show that he meant his words, he punched the vampire through the ribcage, squeezing his heart in his hands as he carried on speaking.

"But, from now on, if I hear any whispers that you lot are conspiring against us, it won't be just Elijah you will have to deal with. It will be every single one of us."

Hope sat up straight and followed her father's speech,"If we also hear anything regarding the leadership of this city, we will find out. This family built this city, which means they built your home and they deserve your respect. We stand as one, which means if you go after one of us, you're coming after the rest."

Following Hope's last words, Klaus ripped out his heart and dropped it onto the floor. Then he watched Elijah reach into his jacket and pull out another contract that was between them six and the vampires. Klaus accepted the pen his brother handed to him and dipped it into the inkwell before scribbling his name. Elijah, Rebekah, Hope and Marcel signed it too before it was passed over to the vampires.

They all did what they were told apart from one of the vampires that had agreed to try and hurt Hope. She couldn't die, so they had settled on torturing her.

He threw the pen down and shook his head,"No, i'm sick with this damn so-called leader ship. I'm finished. This isn't what I signed up for. You're all nothing but hypocrites. You're killing those who have showed nothing but respect towards you."

Rebekah gave another eye roll,"Stop being such a wanker and sign the bloody thing. You either sign it or die, pick one so that I can go back and finish my magazine."

The vampire strolled over to Rebekah,"What are you even doing here? Last I saw of you, you were doing all you could to get away from your brother who had tried to kill you. I know that you've raised her, but it's not like you're her real mother. So what have you got keeping you here?"

The blonde Original's face fell but before she could do anything about it, Hope had stood up and grabbed the vampire then threw him across the room. He got straight back up and let out a fierce growl, his fangs coming forward. He was sick of being underneath their thumb, he had been for almost seventeen years. The other vampires in the room watched in horror as Hope's eyes flashed amber, and her double-fangs came into view before the red spider-like veins appeared underneath her eyes.

The two moved in a circle, daring the other to make a move. Then, without warning, he lunged at Hope, who made no move at side stepping him. Klaus took a step forward, his eyes flashing once more, but he was pulled back by Rebekah, who was glaring at the vampire who had insulted her.

"Nik, she's stronger than _you_ for God's sake. The girl can take care of herself, we all know that. She would fight to the death for her family, and we also know that she likes to fight her own battles."

Elijah placed a hand on Rebekah's shoulder as they watched their niece fight, though the comment had no effect on Rebekah, she was still very sensitive. The impact of his lunge sent them both to the floor, and using his distraction at trying to keep her down, Hope bit into his neck, and he cried out in pain. He knew exactly what a hybrid bite could do to a vampire. He tried to get off of her, but she flipped them over, and without thinking, she grabbed the knife out of her pocket and stabbed him in the eye. She made sure to move it around painfully before she pulled it out, taking his eyeball with it. He screamed loudly, his finger tips feeling the damage she had done before his fingers settled on the werewolf bite.

Hope went to stab him once more but he held up his hands in surrender, making her grin,"I'll sign it. Please, just...do something. Heal me..."

"I didn't say that you could speak!"

He instantly went silent, and she added."You'll be dead by the weekend. Don't think not killing you instantly is me being soft, it's too good for you. A slow painful death is what you deserve."

Tossing the knife aside, Hope stood up, and grabbed the vampire by his arm. She dragged him over to where her aunt was standing. She forced him to kneel on his knees, in front of Rebekah. He howled in pain, his vision going blurry, and he began to feel dizzy because of the bite. Her family looked at her, knowing that once more, her anger had taken over her. Klaus nodded to himself, his lessons had worked, she wasn't as violent as she had been when she had arrived.

Also, when they were in the French Quarters, she hadn't attempted to feed on everyone they had passed. He saw it as progress and watched as she growled at the vampire. He was proud at how she had defended and gotten revenge for her aunt. It showed how much loyalty she had to those she loved dearly.

"Before all the hallucinations start, I want you to do one last thing before you suffer."

He whimpered,"Anything! I'll do anything."

"Apologize to my aunt Bekah. Show her the respect that she deserves."

He reached out, unable to see a thing at the moment, and he grabbed Rebekah's hand after a minute or two of struggling. She scrunched her nose at the sight of him. Hope's human face came forward and the vampires at the table let out a sigh of relief, they weren't getting bitten as long as they kept quiet and said nothing. They couldn't believe how stupid he was to speak to an Original that way, especially in front of the others. They waited as the vampire tried to think of something to save his life.

He stumbled over his words,"I-I'm sorry for my words, please forgive me."

"...and?"

"...and i'm sorry for disrespecting you and your family."

Satisfied with the words, Hope lifted him in the air by his arm and tossed him onto the table where the vampires were at. The force of her throw caused the table to break, and the vampire let out a long groan but nobody dared to help him. She sent them a fake polite smile before turning around and speeding out of the church. Elijah cleared his throat to gain their attention as Marcel, Klaus, Hayley and Rebekah walked away too, not bothering to acknowledge the men.

The vampire begged Elijah to help him, but he felt no remorse towards him, he had insulted his sister and dared to attack Hope, something that was unforgivable in his eyes.

"Thank you all for signing the contract."

He fixed his collar,"I do hope that there are no more repeats of this...it is really unflattering for the church."

He offered them a kind smile before following his family out, leaving them to clean up the mess Klaus and Hope had caused.

* * *

><p><strong>The Abattoir<strong>

"I'm sure that scene will definitely make them think twice before they even attempt to step out of line."

Marcel slumped onto the seat next to Hope as she picked at her nails, Rebekah on her other side. Klaus came into the room, Hayley following behind him while Elijah sat on a seat of his own. Her mother settled next to Elijah while Klaus leaned against the wall once more, watching as his daughter sighed in frustration. Anger was still in her eyes, not satisfied with just making him suffer with a bite and a missing eye. The hybrid poured himself a drink, something he definitely needed after being so angry. Klaus had wanted revenge a lot of times, too many to count, but after hearing that his vampires were daring to even think of attacking his daughter made his blood boil to the point that he was willing to bite them all and make them suffer, just like she had.

The vampire smirked at his sister before adding,"I think we should also take that attack as a warning to never go after Rebekah."

Klaus fought the urge to smile at Marcel's second comment. Though he and his sister had been through their troubles, he would rather have attacks on her happen on him. If Hope hadn't gone after that vampire, Klaus would have gladly done it, he would have torn him apart without a second thought. Then he would have done the exact same thing his daughter had done by biting him. He loved his sister, though he had a horrible way of showing it. He loved her even more after all she had done for Hope.

They way his daughter's eyes went completely black before they went amber showed him just how much she adored her aunt. She could be laughing and throwing food with Rebekah but as soon as something threatened her family, she turned into something that nobody would want underneath their bed. She reminded him of himself in so many ways, Klaus had done a lot of bad things, but he wasn't ashamed of them. Most of them, though considered horrid were to, in a way, protect his family. He remembered Elijah and Hayley during the pregnancy, always thinking he had some ulterior motive, but he had been protecting his child. He had gone from not wanting the child to willing to give up everything just to protect her in a short time.

"I got blood underneath my nails, aunt Bekah, so hope you appreciate what I just did because it's gonna suck getting this out."

Rebekah smirked at her niece,"I could have taken care of myself, but I do appreciate you defending my honour."

If anyone else had done what Hope did for Rebekah, the blonde would have gone into a temper tantrum, screaming at how she wasn't helpless. But, with Hope, she saw it the complete opposite. She grinned at the older woman, who was now inspecting her nails, sighing at the blood and fading nail varnish. Rebekah made a mental note to re-do them later, both not noticing the jealous-like look on Hayley's face. Even though she and her daughter were still on good terms, she wished she was as close to Hope like Rebekah was.

"I know you could have but afterwards you would have been complaining about your nails and your heels. Though they do make great fighting weapons when you haven't got something sharp."

She rested her chin in her hand, watching the two as Rebekah, now holding a face wipe in her hand, cleaned the blood off of Hope's face. The two laughed as her aunt wiped the blood away. She knew that it would take time for them to form a bond, and that since the vow the family had made, Hope would fight for her just like she had fought for Rebekah. But it didn't stop the motherly feelings she got whenever the blonde and Hope laughed and whispered. Her daughter was closer to Klaus than she was her mother, the two connected on a deeper level. Klaus thrived in his hybrid nature and even though Hayley was one, she was more Elijah-like on feedings and hunting.

She preferred to feed if she had to, not for fun. Though she would fight dirty and if she wanted something, she would take it. But Klaus had 1000 years worth of experience and Hope, even at young age, was more advanced and powerful than Hayley was. She was more powerful than anyone else in the world, and her father was a close second. Hayley didn't want to connect like Hope and Klaus did. She wanted a normal mother-daughter relationship, something she never had. When Hope hugged her aunt thank you, Hayley got up and walked out the room. Everyone, including Elijah, didn't seem to sense anything was wrong.

But Hope did.

She turned to her aunt and whispered,"I'll be right back."

The blonde nodded and decided to finish her magazine. Hope followed her mother outside on the balcony, out of earshot, just like Elijah had two weeks before. She was leaning against the railing, holding something in her hands. She was gazing at it as if it were something that meant something precious to her. Hope stopped next to her, facing her mother.

"What's that?"

She looked startled at the sudden presence,"It's a...a photo. Of you and me the day you were born. After the fights with the witches, when we took you back here."

Hayley passed the worn out photo to her daughter, who took it without question. The picture was taken without Hayley noticing by the looks of it. They were sitting in her bedroom, though it was completely different to how it looked now. Hayley, looking exactly like she did now, was sitting in the rocking chair, looking down at baby Hope with a wide smile on her face. But her eyes were filled with sad tears, knowing that she was going to have to give her baby away in a few short hours. Hope was looking back up at her, a small smile on her face, her fingers clutched around Hayley's long finger.

She looked up at Hayley, who was now beside her, gazing down at the picture with adoration. She'd been so little, it shocked Hayley how much she had missed out on. Hope traced her fingers over the picture with her own smile on her face,

"Elijah took it without me knowing. He...um, he gave it to me a few days later. I keep it with me all the time, just like you did with your father's wooden knight, I guess."

Hope suddenly remembered something that her aunt Bekah had given to her for her third birthday. Hope reached into her jacket pocket, thankful she had put it on when Klaus suggested they go out, and pulled out a folded piece of writing paper. It was a darker shade of white, and like the picture, it looked like it was worn. Hayley frowned, somehow recognizing the paper for some reason as Hope unfolded it.

"When I was little, I used to sleep with the knight on my bedside table, it had been with me since the crib, I never liked any teddy's because I knew the knight was from my father. But as I grew older I started asking Bekah why I hadn't gotten anything from my mother. I didn't have any pictures of you, but I had something of his, but not of yours. It was to give me comfort, y'know?"

Hayley looked down,"We didn't have time t-"

"I know. But on my third birthday, after I had managed to start putting sentences together, I was quicker than other kids, thanks to the genes."Hope smirked, and she handed the paper to Hayley,"She gave me this in a frame so that I woudn't spill anything on it, I was clumsy like that. So, every night, after she told me my castle story, I would hold my knight and read that before I went to sleep. It's cheesy now that I think of it, but it was comfort, like how the knight got me through the storms."

Her mother started to cry as she read the words she had written sixteen years ago.

_Dear Zoe...or Kaitlyn...or Angela. _

_To my little girl. _

_Your dad just asked if this was a love letter. I guess it kind of is. I never got to know my mother. I have no idea what she must have thought when she carried me. So, I thought I'd write to you, so you can know how happy I am at this very moment. How much your father and I can't wait to meet you._

_And, I want to make you a promise, of three things that you will have that I never did: a safe home, someone to tell you that they love you every single day, and someone to fight for you, no matter what. In other words, a family. So, there you go, baby girl. The rest we're going to have to figure out together. _

_I love you. _

_Your mom. _

Hope, comfortable that nobody was watching, hugged her mother close to her. She, just like Rebekah used to do to her whenever she cried as a small child, stroked her hair and whispered comforting words to her. She hadn't done this when they first embraced, but she was more relaxed with Hayley now.

She knew that her mother held some sort of self hatred for giving her away, something she understood but didn't feel. Holding the letter in one hand, Hayley hugged her back, and no matter how many times Elijah had hugged her or on the rare occasion Klaus had after they sent her away, none of them held the comfort like her daughters hug held.

Hope pulled back and wiped her tears once more. Though she hated being emotional, she needed to say something to her mother,"You did give me all three. I was safe, Bekah told me everyday that you and my father loved me. She never went a day without telling me. You all did fight for me, for sixteen years you fought for me, fought to keep me alive and to make sure I had love, happiness and comfort, even if it wasn't with you. I hold no resentment towards you, if I did, I wouldn't have made that promise with all of you, I wouldn't be here."

The older woman swallowed the lump in her throat,"I just wish that we could have something, it's too late for a mother-daughter bond, is it? I've lost that."

"I'm not getting any older, am i? It stops at sixteen, luckily for me. Rebekah always said that an aunt's love is different to a mother's love. She never tried to take your place, she couldn't, you're my _mother_. I kicked the hell out of you when you were pregnant, you held me when I was born. We've got a long time to have that bond, we _already_ do, i'm just more comfortable around Bekah, I guess. I'm not good with emotion, it's hard right now doing this, but making you feel left out isn't my intention. But, i'll try, I will."

"I don't expect to be close as you and Rebekah, I get that you two have spent sixteen years together. We all saw that today when you almost tore that vampire apart. But, I love you, baby girl."

Hope grinned at her before replying,"I would have done the exact same if it had been you, my father or anyone else in the family. I wouldn't have hesitated, family comes above all, if you don't have that, you have nothing."

She toyed with her fingers as she added,"I don't say it much, I mean, Bekah's lucky if I say it once a year. I guess i'm one of those people who show it through their actions. But, I love you, too."

Hayley let out a relived sigh before she hugged her daughter, it was the first time she had made the move, and this time, Hope returned it just as much. The two stayed there for a few more moments before they pulled away. Hayley handed the letter back, but Hope shook her head. She gave the letter back to her mother, who narrowed her eyes, confused. Hope placed the letter in her mothers hand, eyes wide with understanding.

"You gave it to me because you couldn't be there. You're here now, so i'm giving it back."

Her mother smiled and folded the letter, before placing it in her pocket, along with the photo. Then, after composing herself, Hope followed Hayley back into the front room. This time, she sat next to her mother, in between her aunt since Marcel had moved to drink with Klaus. Elijah caught the happiness in Hayley's eyes, like she had finally returned to her old self, something she hadn't been since Hope had left. Her smile was wide, and she looked like she was where she belonged. She met Elijah's eyes and nodded, silently telling him that everything he said had been right. His attention turned back to the conversation he was having with Klaus and Marcel, a serous look on his face.

"Do you think she's ready, Niklaus?"

The younger Mikaelson smirked,"She is a born leader, Elijah, she has it in her veins. This city has been waiting for their Queen for sixteen years."

"The way she kicked ass today proves it. The people want their Queen, man. Ever since she's been back, the wolves have been crazy about her, and even the vampires who agreed to the contract need their rightful leader. She needs to claim what is hers if they are going to accept her, and show everyone in this city and everywhere else that she is a force to be reckoned with. That way, any idiot that wants to start a war will take a second thought because she is showing her face. Right now, they think she's hiding, she needs to come forward."

Marcel glanced at Hope, before a proud smile appeared on his face,"Nobody wants to go up against the most powerful being and family in the world."

Klaus nodded as Marcel finished his sentence, his eyes settled on his daughter. What he had seen today, what she had done to honour their family name, what she had done to defend his sister told him that she was loyal, no matter who she had to cross. It told him that she was willing to kill to show others where they stood and where her family stood. She was a born leader, Klaus was right, something she had inherited from her father.

"He's right, brother, she needs to make her claim."

Though New Orleans was hers, he and Marcel had been ruling it in her honour. But now, Klaus was sure that she was ready to take what was rightfully belonged to her. He accepted the drink Marcel handed to him, and Elijah nodded, giving them his blessing. The three walked over to the women, who were staring at the baby picture of Hope with Hayley.

"Baby wolf?"

Hope looked up as her father called her name,"Yeah?"

"Are you ready to take your crown?"

* * *

><p><strong>Do you think she's ready for her crown? Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	5. Broken Promise

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews. It does encourage me to write more when I know people are reading, so keep them coming. In this chapter, we see Hayley fighting against Klaus' idea of Hope ruling New Orleans. There is going to be a huge argument, and someone gets their feelings hurt when another person breaks their promise._**

* * *

><p>"<strong>Klaus, no!"<strong>

Hayley's worried tone silenced the five of them. Klaus narrowed his eyes at her as Elijah and Marcel kept their adamant looks on their faces. Rebekah kept quiet, she wasn't in the mood for an argument that she knew was coming. Also, by expression on Klaus' face, he wasn't looking for anyone else's opinion but Hope's, this was her decision. The blonde just kept on staring at the picture of Hayley and Hope when she was a baby while her niece just watched in bewilderment. Her mother's eyes went wide as she jumped up, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at the older hybrid. She walked over to the father of her child, fierceness in her eyes, she wasn't allowing this to happen.

"Being King was _your_ dream. Becoming Queen of this city wasn't in her future. I don't want that, I will not have you push this onto her."

Klaus sent a glare back,"I want what's best for my daughter, I want her to have something to call her own, I want her to take what is hers. The city belongs to Hope, little wolf. It's been hers since the day she was born, and in the agreement with the wolves and vampires, it became hers when she turned sixteen. She is a born leader and these are her people."

"Why don't you take it back? Why does she have to go through this?!"

"She is more powerful than anything else on this earth, and that's what the city needs. Right now, they think she is hiding from them, and if she doesn't come forward and takes what rightfully belongs to her, the werewolves and the vampires will start to conspire again. The werewolves have loyalty towards her since she is royalty, more than they have for me, and now that we have eliminated the vampires that wanted to go after her, they are going to fall in line. I will not have her face whatever is after me, not again, I will not have her hiding anymore."

Elijah saw the look of horror on Hayley's face as she imagined her daughter leading the city, imagining her being obsessed with more power, just like Klaus had. She fell onto the seat, running a hand through her dark hair. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, silently begging him to not back up Klaus. He shook his head at her, he truly believed that this was what needed to happen in order for her to be accepted in the city. She needed to take the crown, something that was hers and show everyone that she was there to stay. Elijah looked back at Marcel and Klaus, who were looking at him with eyes full of determination, they were willing to do whatever it takes to make sure Hope was accepted. They nodded at him, knowing that he could get to Hayley.

He sighed, and spoke with a soft tone,"If I didn't think it was the right thing, I wouldn't have agreed to it. He is right, outsiders of this city who think Hope is hiding in the shadows are going to see that as a _weakness_. They will try to take it as an opening to attack. There are enemies of Klaus everywhere, which she has inherited, and they are waiting for the perfect moment to destroy him and her. If Hope takes charge of the city, if she is shown to be leader, they won't dare come after her. She will be surrounded by her own kind, by her family. They wouldn't risk being tormented by her for eternity if they are known to fail. Not after she takes the crown."

"I thought she was untouchable?"

Klaus cleared his throat and downed the rest of his drink before he knelt in front of Hayley. He tried to let go of his anger, and attempted to speak in the same tone as Elijah had. He had to make her see that he was doing best by his family, by his daughter, whatever it took to keep their family home.

"She is and they want to use that if they can. But, like I said, not taking the crown would cause more havoc inside the city. We can't have that. You fought for your werewolves to have a voice, well she is part of them and they would be more agreeable with her than with me. They don't trust Marcel. Those vampires who are left, will step in line if they are guaranteed protection and a voice. But isn't just about having power, little wolf. This is about Hope being with her own kind, building her home, having loyalty and being respected, something we never were. It's a win/win. They want to be on the winning side. They want her."

Hayley glanced at her daughter, who was looking at her father, slightly tempted. She shook her head once more and got onto her feet. Klaus did the same, arms across his chest as the other two men stood behind him. Elijah agreed, if he hadn't, he would have done the same exact thing with Hayley and stood by her. For once, he didn't agree with her, and it shocked him because he'd never been against Hayley in so long, but this wasn't about her, it was about his niece. He wanted to be a family once again, he didn't want to deal with betrayal or crossing a sibling to get what they wanted. He wanted everyone to be open and respectful for his niece, but also for themselves.

He wanted them to keep their vow – always and forever.

"My answer is no. I will not have her turn into you."

Klaus's eyes darkened, he was offended, all he had done for sixteen years was protect his daughter. Yes, he had done it differently than Elijah and Hayley, but his ways had beat everything that had come against him. He still couldn't believe that after everything, standing side by side, after taking the vow, she still didn't trust him.

"You know what to do if she comes to you about her family history, like Elijah but nobody knows better than I do about taking on enemies. Hope is a fighter, she's a leader. She needs whatever she can around her if she's going to lead. This family will stay together with her in charge, our home will finally be whole again."

"I will not let you do this to my daughter." She yelled at him.

"She's not your daughter, is she? She's _ours_." He repeated her words back to her before adding,"Though she's old enough to make her own choices."

It was quiet for a few moments before her parents began to argue, forgetting that there were other people in the room. Hayley, not afraid of him, demanded that he let the idea go, that she didn't want her daughter to be leader while he insisted that it was in her best interest. He refused to have his enemies think she was hiding, being a coward. His daughter was a born leader, this was her city, and nobody but her was taking the crown. He wanted to give her the secure home he never had, he wanted her to never feel alone. Klaus turned back and looked at his daughter, his eyes narrowing.

"I promised her that I will have this city her home, and this one I intend to keep." Klaus whispered.

He had made that promise. Klaus had held his daughter in his arms and promised her that he would make New Orleans her home. He had been away from his daughter for sixteen years, he hadn't heard her first word, he hadn't seen her first steps, he hadn't been there when she first showed signs of being a hybrid. But he intended to be there forever, and that was starting at that moment. He was going to give Hope her crown, the one he had fought for, so that she had everything she needed. She had her family at her side, she had the werewolves and vampires to fight anything that came her way. It wasn't just about power, though she had it all, it was about family and loyalty. She needed to take the crown to stop the wars, to stop all the enemies coming their way, so that they could finally be a family.

"She can have a home without ruling the city."

Klaus growled warningly,"Not a happy one. If she doesn't take the crown, enemies from the past will come to hunt her, thinking she's an easy target. I will not have another war, not after fighting one. I've got centuries on you, if you think that she will come home, settle in, and everything will go smoothly, you're living in another planet. She needs to claim her crown for her family, for the city, for her people but most of all for herself."

Hayley stopped in front of Klaus and gave him a look that would knock him dead if looks could kill. But he returned it just as fierce,"For once in your life, tell the truth. You care about keeping you're precious city, that's it!"

"How dare you?! Everything I have done this whole sixteen years is to keep her safe and fight for her home. If I didn't care about her, I would have kicked you lot out of New Orleans years ago and kept the city for myself. I wouldn't have bloody bothered to contact Rebekah to take her and raise her in a happy home, I would have raised her around all this, and turned her into me. She's my flesh and blood, don't you ever think about s-"

Elijah broke them up with a strong voice,"That's enough! We've all given our views on the matter but the choice is ultimately up to Hope but whatever she chooses to do, we _will_ respect it. We all want he best for her but we will not fight about it, this is family, we do not fight with family anymore. We stick as one. Whatever the decision, we will follow it, not fight over it. Agreed?"

Hayley and Klaus nodded at the same time before they both turned and looked at their daughter. She was sitting on the couch next to Marcel while her aunt did her best to stay out of the matter. Rebekah would only intervene if Hope asked her to or if the blonde felt her niece was being forced into something. Marcel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she raised her head to look at him, looking at him, silently asking her brother to guide her to the right choice.

"Elijah is right, kid. This is up to you. Whatever you want, whatever you decide, we will respect. If someone tries to make you do otherwise, i'll kick their ass. Though, i'm sure that you'd be able to do it yourself."

She smiled at his attempts to cheer her up. They had become close over the past few weeks, he had told her how he had first met Klaus, even confessed at trying to end his adoptive father. He hadn't left anything out, which she respected. Nodding at his words, Hope let out a long breath, suddenly feeling a little stressed. She could understand where they were both coming from. Both wanted the same things, to keep her safe, happy and to never feel like she was constantly facing people who wanted to hurt or use her in a way. Though she could be killed and could easily defend herself, she didn't want to be hunted all her life, she didn't want people coming into her city to cause havoc. Her family was what mattered to her, and honestly, Hope didn't care about anything else.

Though after hearing how much they had all went to in order to protect the city, to make it her home, Hope felt like it was her job to make sure nothing came to wreck New Orleans. Also, when she had heard them say that the vampires had fought to help her family in war, she felt the need to help them. If her father had given the vampires and werewolves his protection, his loyalty in a way, she would do that too, if he felt like they were some sort of family. They had fought for her, and if Klaus thought she was a fighter and a leader, she believed that too.

"What do you think, baby wolf?"

Hope swallowed, feeling confused and torn. She did the first thing she could think of and faced the blonde sitting next to her. Rebekah lifted her head, and Hope asked her the same question,"Aunt Bekah, what do you think?"

That was what broke Rebekah's silence in the matter. She had told herself that she would only intervene if her niece wanted her to. She set the magazine down next to her and thought for a moment. Hope was more like her father than her mother. She was impulsive, stubborn, protective, and wouldn't think twice before feeding on the next human she saw if she was hungry. Hope had no tolerance for human life, but when it came to those she cared about, her niece would walk on hot coals if it meant they were safe. She would tear apart someone who threatened them piece by piece. Her niece would also protect her city and her people if she knew how important they were to her family.

Rebekah was leaning toward Klaus' view, and that was rare. The blonde held Hope's hand in her own, and smiled at her.

"I think that you should take what your family fought for. I think you need to take your crown and fight those who dare take it from you. We built this city, these were our people but most of all, this was our _home_. But, most of all, love, I want you to do whatever makes you happy. Wherever you feel at home is where you are strongest. If you feel New Orleans is where you feel at home, take it. But if you don't, if you have any feeling that here is where you shouldn't be, step away."

"Do you feel at home here, aunt Bekah?"

"Love, this is the only place wherever I have felt truly at home."

"Why?" Hope asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because we built it. We built home here, we have had our best memories here, yes some are bad, but nothing is perfect. No matter where you go, you always find your way home. That's how you got here...even when you were at your worst, somehow, you found your way home. You found your way back here, back to your family, that's what home is, love."

"Rebekah, no, you can't think that." Hayley whispered,"W-Why would you agree with Klaus? She's going to listen to you!"

"I wasn't going to get involved, but Hope asked my opinion. So i did."

Hope kissed her aunt on the cheek before standing up. She smiled at her mother softly, trying to quietly tell her that she was wrong. Nothing could stop her, she promised herself not to let anything chase Rebekah from her happiness again. Seeing the look on Hope's face, Hayley rushed over to her, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders, shaking her head again, a pleading look in her eyes. Klaus and Elijah frowned as she pulled Hope away from them all, and into the hallway, hoping that she could talk some sense into her.

Her mother shook her head,"Hope, you don't want to do this. It'll ruin the good you have inside of you."

"I'll be fighting for those who are close to me, i'll be fighting for my home. I have the power to defeat anything that comes my way, I can use that power, but most of all i can do this with you all there. It won't ruin me because I have _you_, and as long as I have you and my family, i'll be fine."

Hayley opened her mouth to protest but Hope cut her off. She grabbed Hayley's hands and held them to her heart. If Rebekah thought that she could do it, then she was sure. But first, she wanted her mother's blessing, she wanted Hayley to say yes.

"Do you love me? If you don't trust my father, do you trust me?"

Hayley, wondering what she was doing, quickly answered,"Yes, of course I do."

"Then let me take what is mine. Give me your blessing. Bekah believes in me, if she does, if she thinks that I have what it takes to take my crown, I want you to as-well. You made a vow to always stand with me, that we will stand together as one. I want you to keep that promise."

"I-I."

Hope frowned,"You, Elijah, Marcel, my father and Rebekah fought for me. You did that all my life, including when you were pregnant with me. I'm the most powerful being in this world, and with that, I can lead and protect what my family built. I will be able to destroy those who want to harm you all. But, I can't do that if you don't give me your blessing, if you don't believe in me."

Hayley's eyes glassed over. She didn't want this to happen. Her daughter was the most powerful, feared, creature in the world but she was _her_ daughter. She didn't want her to fight, she didn't want her involved in what her, Klaus and Elijah had been involved with. She wanted her to be happy, she wanted her daughter to be normal, well, as normal as a hybrid who was part which could be anyway. She didn't want her to turn into Klaus, which she knew some of her was. She was a hybrid, and a hungry one. Her eyes raised to Klaus and the others, who had followed them two into the hallway. They were all standing behind Hope, urging Hayley to give the young girl her blessing.

Hayley didn't want that for her.

Her voice broke as she replied,"I love you more than anything in this world and nothing makes me happier than waking up to know that you're home every day. Nothing makes me smile more than fighting over the TV remote with you. I love how strong you are, how you fought for your aunt today. But that doesn't mean I want you in wars, even if it is for us. Even if it is our enemies, we sent you away because of that."

Elijah stepped forward, looking confused,"Hayley, you sent her away because she couldn't protect herself, but now she can. She is what glues us together, Hope is what keeps this family going, what keeps our home. She needs to face those who want to destroy that. All she is asking is that you believe in her, that you give her your blessing."

Hayley shook her head, tears threatening to spill,"You're already in too deep with being who you are, baby girl, I don't want anymore for you. So no, I don't give you my blessing. I'm sorry, but I don't."

Everyone went silent as the last words were said. Hope dropped Hayley's hands, looking like her mother had struck her. She didn't understand why she was saying these things. Nothing could win against them as long as they were together. All Hope wanted was to be with her family, like Rebekah had promised her that would happen one day. Her father believed that she could do this, along with her aunt, her brother and uncle. If fighting others to keep their city and family is what she had to do, she would. There was no threat right now, but all she wanted was for her mother to give her the blessing to take her crown. She was the queen, and Hope wanted to lead.

"You don't want me to take my crown or my city? You don't want me to fight for you, like you fought for me?"

"I don't want you to lose yourself."

"I won't! My father lost himself because nobody stood by him when he needed them the most. I won't be like that. I won't lose myself if I have those who love me by my side. It's not the power I have that would make me win, it's not my abilities, or my army. It's my family because family is power. You promised and you vowed that you would stick by my side. There isn't any war going on, but if one comes, i'm going to be prepared. I don't just want my crown for that, i want it because this is my home, the home you fought for. I have people to lead, people that believe in me, even though they don't trust me, they know that i can do this. I can gain their trust and their loyalty with Marcel's help, i won't be alone in this, as long as i have you all on my side!"

"I am on your side, baby girl! I never wanted this for you, this wasn't supposed to be your life. I didn't agree to this."

Hope let out a growl, her eyes flashing,"What about what I want? Doesn't that matter?"

"It does, but you don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

Rebekah went for Hayley, but Elijah grabbed her. It was as if her aunt could feel the pain she was feeling. Hope stood in front of her mother, a blank look in her eyes. Klaus recognized that look, it's the same one he had when Elijah accused him of wanting his child's blood to create an army. She tilted her head, and started at the woman who gave birth to her. She stared into the eyes that told her she loved her not only a few hours before. Her mother was strong, independent and a fighter, just like Hope was. She went for what she wanted, and she always fought her side. It amazed Hope how Hayley didn't want that for her.

"So everything in your letter was a lie?"

Hayley shook her head once more,"No!"

"You said that you wanted me to have a family. You're my family, and yet, you don't believe in me. That's what families do, they want what's best for those around them. They fight for one another and that's what i'm doing. I'm fighting against those who want to hurt the people I love, who want to destroy me. This city isn't just mine, it's ours. It's where we should feel the happiest, where we should feel free. If people are trying to ruin that, we won't feel that. If I take that crown, then we'll be happy, something you never had when you were my age."

She held her mother's hands tight,"I want this, I want to be Queen, I want it. If you think I can do this, if you think that I can make this family and city whole again, give me your blessing. Show me that you will live up to the vow we all made."

Her mother kept quiet for a few moments. She couldn't agree to this, she just couldn't. It was too much for her daughter. She looked at Hope and saw the image of what herself had become after becoming a hybrid. She saw what a monster she had turned into after feeding, after having the power. She was confused as to why no-one else was seeing this. If Hope took the power, it may fight off whoever wanted to hurt them, but it also meant that she was in constant danger, but also that she would change. Klaus couldn't understand why Hayley was doing this, their daughter was a leader, she was strong, and she should be proud of that. He looked at Hope, her expression was one of sadness with a hint of anger, he recognized that too.

"You've already made this family whole, you're everything. But i can't agree to this, Hope. I love you, that's why I don't want you to do this, so I refuse to give you my blessing."

Elijah walked over to the woman he had known for sixteen years, who was strong, powerful and wanted nothing more than to have a safe home for Hope. It was like he couldn't recognize her, and she had no idea how this could benefit for Hope. But most of all, he was hurt and disappointed in her. Hope dropped her hands and moved back, standing next to Rebekah, who wrapped her arms around her. Klaus placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her as best as he could, whispering to her that it would work out.

"Hayley, you're not standing by her, you're breaking the promise we all made. We respect what Hope wants, and we stick by her, always and forever."

"What is it's the wrong choice, Elijah? What if that choice has a chance of breaking her?"

Klaus stepped in front of Hope, an angry look on his face,"This is not the wrong choice. She's not going to break because she's strong, little wolf. This choice will chase off anyone who wants to go to war, which means that it will keep her safe, it'll stop whatever plan they have to use her or work against her."

"I won't let my daughter turn into you."

Hayley pushed Klaus out of her way and went to embrace her daughter but before she could Hope was gone. They all looked around, trying to hear or sense if she was in the house. She was much faster than them it was possible that she was a while away by now. Rebekah stood in her place, her own tears in her eyes as she stared at Hayley, a look in her eyes that the young hybrid couldn't make out. Klaus took a large step towards Hayley, but Marcel grabbed him, it wasn't the time to make things backed off a few steps as the aunt of her daughter made her way towards her. Klaus, Elijah and Marcel whispered to one another, when they couldn't sense the girl in their home anymore. Hayley was stopped when her back hit the wall.

"When Hope was young, especially when the hybrid showed at age six, she used to draw pictures of what she thought her castle would looked like. She used to use up all the paper, and would sit in front of the TV, coloring in. She used to stick them on her bedroom walls, and on the fridge, the house was covered with them When I asked her what she was drawing one day, she turned to me. She had the biggest smile on her face before she handed me one of her drawings."

"Rebekah. Wh-"

The blonde hit the wall with the palm of her hand,"Shut up, you don't get to talk right now! She would draw her kingdom that she knew her family was fighting for. She would draw her castle that she and you lived in, where there were no monsters that were trying to take away her mummy and daddy. She knew that she had to be sent away because the monsters had tried to hurt her, that they were trying to hurt you. Ever since she was old enough to talk, she would promise to never let anyone hurt the ones she loved."

Klaus, Elijah and Marcel turned to listen as Rebekah spoke.

Rebekah sniffed when she remembered the blank look in Hope's eyes,"You have just broken your promise to stand by her. All Hope wants is to be with her family, and to take her crown because she wants her castle to be rid of monsters that want to hurt those she loves. When she loves, Hayley, Hope loves hard and would do anything, I mean anything to destroy those who dare to harm those around her. But when someone hurts her, or crosses her, she is cruel, selfish and would do anything to make them suffer. You saw that today, that vampire didn't just insult me, he _crossed_ her."

She ran a hand through her long hair as she began to pace back and forth, imagining how her niece was feeling. In Hope's mind, her mother didn't believe in her, she didn't trust her daughter. Hope must have been feeling angry and hurt. It meant that she was out there, her mind spinning, not knowing what to do. Klaus watched, glaring at Hayley, who looked like she was about to break. He crossed his arms over his chest, while Elijah and Marcel looked on, both worried about Hope. Rebekah came to a halt and she looked over at her older brother, who looked like he wanted to hurt the mother of his child. She hadn't just upset Hope, she had upset Klaus to. Rebekah let out a long sigh as she tried to think clearly, something that she couldn't do if she was worried about Hope.

Marcel grabbed his jacket, and shrugged it on. He needed to find Hope, he wasn't going to let his sister wander the streets by herself, upset and possibly pissed off.

Klaus saw this, and glanced at his friend,"Where are you going, mate?"

"I'm gonna find her before someone else gets their head ripped off and causes another rift between our guys. Feel free to come with."

Klaus looked at his brother, who just nodded in response. Hope needed her father, out of all of them, she only listened to him and Rebekah. But her aunt was needed there, she was the only person who knew the inside of Hope's mind. Elijah pointed for them to sit down while the two men left, using their vampire speed. Rebekah sat down after pouring herself a drink while Hayley stood. He listened closely, maybe he could learn how to deal with his niece too when he knew what was going on inside her head, like he dealt with Klaus whenever he gets in a mood. He didn't look at Hayley, at that moment, all he cared about was making amends with everyone. He wouldn't allow his family to shatter around him, not again, especially when his niece was involved.

"Rebekah? What are you talking about?"

She downed her drink and replied,"She is like Nik, in many ways, which means she is sensitive and impulsive. So I imagine that when she feels like someone she loves is turning their back on her, it doesn't just hurt her, it _scars_ her. It is clear that she has a rule, one that was made known when she tortured that vampire who begged for mercy, but she showed none."

"What do you mean, Rebekah?" Hayley asked, worried about the answer.

Elijah's eyes widened and he stood up too,"I think I know where she's going with this."

Rebekah wiped her tears away and turned to face her brothers,"She doesn't tolerate those who have crossed or hurt her in any shape or form. She doesn't forgive and she certainly doesn't forget."

* * *

><p><strong>Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	6. After The Storm

**The Abattoir**

"I have to see her. I have to make this right."

Rebekah stopped in front of Hayley just as she was about to make her way out of the door,"Didn't you hear what I said? She doesn't forgive or forget. In her mind, you have rejected her, you have broken a promise that we all made."

"...she's my daughter!"

Elijah sped in front of the hybrid, both Originals in front of her now. His jaw clenched as he held out a hand, stopping her. His eyes narrowed daring her to try and get past him. He knew how to win against a hybrid. Elijah had won against his brother in a few fights, he had centuries on Hayley and wouldn't hesitate to stop her. If Rebekah was right, if his niece did take things like this the way his brother would, it was best to leave her alone. If she saw Hayley right now, in her state, she wouldn't be able to keep her anger inside. Elijah couldn't blame her. They had all made a promise, one that meant a lot to their family, one that was held in high honour, and she had broken it. He had never felt this angry towards her, not even when she went through his journals.

"Hayley, you will not go after her. It may upset you, but in this situation, she doesn't want you around her."

She shrugged on her jacket,"You gonna stop me?"

"If I have to. If Rebekah is right, you running after her is not the best decision. You have hurt her, surely you know that?"

She didn't reply, and tried to move around him, and when he got in her way, her eyes flashed. She tried once more, and Elijah kept still, it wasn't affecting. Before Hayley could make another move, Rebekah stepped in front of her. She wouldn't allow her niece to feel any more upset than what she already was. If she had to fight Hayley to make sure that she wouldn't go near Hope, she would. She knew her niece, she needed to be around people that hadn't stood against her, she needed people who were on her side, and that wasn't Hayley at the moment. Hayley crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to cover the hurt she was feeling.

"Rebekah, I need to see Hope. I won't let her shut me out, not after everything. If you don't get out of m-"

"You'll what? I can't die and in this mood, you won't win against me. I've dealt with much scarier beings than you, love. I'm your friend, but that comes last if Hope is of concern. If you go near her, it won't end well. She needs time, she needs to be away from you for a while."

Hayley snarled,"She's my daughter."

Elijah replied in a stern voice, making sure that she heard him,"That may be but Klaus is her father, and in this situation, he's the only person who can deal with her right now. He knows what it feels like when no-one stands by you. Believe me, we've made the mistake of doing that once in our life time."

"Elijah, plea-"

Not wanting to hear it, Elijah told her to calm down. Right now, his main concern was Hope. Though, right now he didn't want to be near Hayley. She knew what trust and the promise meant to Elijah. He had fought side by side with her to get the young girl home, to make sure that the city was safe for her. He believed that making Hope queen would stop those who wanted to come after their family. The news of Hope not being dead had already spread around the world, and those who want Klaus or their family finished would think that she was hiding. But if they all stood strong, backing Hope up, they wouldn't do that.

He believed it was the right thing for their family and the fact that Hayley didn't believe in Hope, meant that she didn't believe in them all.

"Hayley, i've known you for a long time, and i've stood by you more than once. I will protect you, and when you are right, I will stand by you. But no matter what, I will keep my promise to my niece, and she comes above all. _Family _comes above all."

"Aren't I family?"

Elijah sighed and his jaw clenched,"You are Hope's mother, you will always be considered apart of this family, but I think that you should ask yourself what that word means to you. Because right now, I think that both of us have our own definitions of the word. We vowed to stick together, and you chose to go against that, you didn't live up to any of what we promised. In her mind, you've let her down. This was how Niklaus felt whenever he thought that someone turned their backs on him. I just hope Rebekah is wrong about her having no tolerance for those who disappoint her."

"What do I do?" Hayley asked him.

Rebekah answered instead of Elijah,"There isn't a thing you can do apart from giving her some time. Hopefully she'll make an exception to her rule since you're her mother."

"...a-and if she doesn't? Wh-What happens then?"

"I don't know. Let us find her first." Rebekah whispered.

Elijah grabbed his jacket from the back of Klaus' chair and he put it on. He motioned for his sister to follow him. He wanted to find the other three before they did something stupid. They were all impulsive and didn't care much for human lives. But Marcel was less impulsive than the other two so Elijah hoped that he had managed to keep them away from the locals, well, some of them anyway, he wouldn't have saved them all. The blonde shrugged on her leather jacket and stood next to her brother. Hayley watched as they turned to the door, and once again, tears filled her brown orbs, feeling like she had been stabbed. Elijah felt a twinge of pain in his heart when he saw her lower lip wobble and unable to help himself, he placed a somewhat comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll try to be as quick as we can. The sooner we get Hope and my brother off the streets, the better. I do hope that Marcel has managed to keep them occupied. We know what my brother can be like when he's upset."

She nodded weakly, and Elijah returned it. After making sure that Hayley wasn't going to follow them, they sped out of the Mikaelson family home, leaving the distressed mother behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>French Quarter<strong>

Hope pinned the young boy hard against the shop window as she bit into him, her fingers tugging on his hair, pulling his head to the side. Her eyes shut contently as the blood poured down her throat, but the anger she held was still there. He struggled against her, begging her to stop as he began to feel dizzy, but she wouldn't budge. Hope hadn't bothered to compel him, it only made it more fun for her as he pleaded. Her fangs let go of him when she heard him squeak once more, making her chuckle darkly. Licking most of the blood off of her lips, she met his eyes, the fear in them, striking some kind of sick pleasure inside of her. His eyes widened when he saw her amber eyes, and bloody fangs, red dipping off of her lips.

She had found him wandering along the pavement with a few of his friends, and couldn't resist torturing them. It made her feel better when other people where just as miserable as her, their pain made her feel good. He whimpered when she growled loudly, running her tongue along her fangs.

"W-What are you?"

Hope tilted her head, an innocent smile playing on her lips,"Magic."

"You're a m-monster!"

"Some would say that...though, where's the fun in being ordinary?"

He raised his hands to push her away, ready to run, but she locked her fingers around his wrists. She put the wrist to her lips and sunk her fangs into the skin. He screamed, but she cupped a hand over his mouth, bored of him. Her nails dug into his cheek, breaking the skin, and she then started to slowly turn his head, keeping her uncomfortable grip on him. Hope continued to push his head to the left, and he started to yell louder, muffled by her hand. They began to die out as the bones painfully snapped underneath her hands, and his tears ran down his cheeks onto her skin as he died slowly and unpleasantly. Hope didn't let him go until she had successfully drained him of his blood.

Then, she shoved him away from her with disgust, no longer of use to her, before wiping the blood away with the back of her hand. He fell by her feet, his eyes still open, no longer full of life. Hope looked at him for a few moments before her head fell back, the familiar feeling of ecstasy flowing through her veins, the hybrid in her feeling like it had woken up. Her eyes fell shut, and she fell back against the wall behind her, licking the blood off of her long fingers when the sound of sobbing hit her ears. That was when she remembered that the boy had friends with him. Hope leaned against the wall, looking in the direction of where the sounds were coming from.

A girl, no older than Hope had fallen onto the floor, her knees held to her chest, looking as if she had looked into the Devil's eyes herself. Her cheeks were damp and her eyes were puffy as she tried to keep herself quiet. Two other dead bodies were laying on the ground next to her, and she shuffled as far as she could from them, almost underneath a table that was outside a restaurant.

The young girls' whispers, though almost silent, echoed in her ears,"Help me, please...someone help me..."

Hope flashed over to her, picking the girl up by her throat. Amber replaced ocean blue once more, hiding her hurt and her sadness from what her mother said. The girl began to choke, her face turning a different colour as she struggled to breathe, trying to pull the hand away. She was no match for Hope, especially now since she was angry. She felt like her mother had turned her back on her in a way, like she didn't believe in her daughter. She had put her trust in Hayley when they all had made the vow, and not two weeks later, she'd broken it. It hurt her, and at that moment, she wanted to tear everyone apart.

She thought that Hope would lose her way and end up like her father. Klaus had turned out the way he did because of his rejection by Mikael, who had haunted him, tortured him and wanted nothing more than to end him. Because of that, Klaus had spent his life pushing people away who wanted to love him or get close because he didn't believe that he was deserving of it, and he replaced that with wanting to be untouchable. Hope wouldn't turn into what her father was if she had people around her, so she couldn't understand where Hayley was coming from.

"P-Please...don't hurt me."

"Nope, sorry, tonight isn't your night."

Right now, the hybrid was taking over once more, it was pushing away how upset she felt and replacing it with hunger. Hope dropped the girl, balancing her on her feet. The girl opened her mouth to speak, to beg, but Hope held up a hand, cutting her off. She cried, whimpered, pleaded like all the others she had killed, but nothing worked, if anything, it only annoyed her. Hope grinned widely, showing off her fangs as she moved closer, fingers gripping her chin. Her finger nails stabbed into the skin, causing blood to appear. Her eyes followed as the red trickled down her neck, and all of sudden, Hope lunged at her. Her fangs sunk into her neck painfully and Hope hungrily fed on her, ignoring the screeches.

She heard the sound of feet landing somewhere, and Hope pulled away, instantly sensing who it was. Taking her distraction as an advantage the girl stupidly took that chance to run off. Hope spun around and watched her stumble town the street, almost knocking over a stall in the process. She chuckled, unable to help it when the girl fell down and skinned her knee on the street. Blood hit her senses, and she growled. It echoed throughout the silent French Quarter, and the girl heard it. She screamed when Hope slowly made her way towards her, and quickly got up.

"**HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE! SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!"**

Her heart was racing, thumping against her ribcage, catching her Hope's attention. Now, she was acting like she did after getting her first taste of blood from the vein before she came to New Orleans. It was cat and mouse all over again, the chase made the blood taste better, like a dessert after a meal. This was how she truly was, it felt somewhat comfortable. Hope gave into her nature and didn't deny what she was. The girl was food and entertainment, she was prey, they all were. Hope waited until the girl thought that she was going to be safe, then she sped in front of her. She almost bumped into the hybrid, and sobbed loudly when she saw her. She looked back at where Hope had been standing then back at the girl in front of her.

"Hello, again."

"H-How did you do that?"

Hope made no effort to answer. Instead, with a quick, skill hand, she punched into her chest. But, Hope didn't make it quick, she gripped the heart in her hand, clutching it. The girl began to cough up blood, her eyes bloodshot. The brown orbs reminded her of her mother, who had been crying over an hour ago. They filled with tears, threatening to spill, and that's when she ripped it out. She fell forward, almost knocking into Hope, who moved to the side, making the body fall to the ground. Then, she stepped over the body, leaving them all for the vampires to clean up. A small, satisfied smile appeared on her face as she strolled down the pavement, popping her fingers into her mouth on the way. Her head seemed clear now that she had taken out her anger, but Hope still felt the need to hurt someone else, it began to get stronger the longer.

"Are you going to stalk me or come out, Marcel?"

She turned around and came face to face with her brother,"You're goo-"

Cutting him off, Hope snapped her fingers at the shadows,"You, too. You've been following me. It's rude."

"You've been busy, love. Nice scare tactic, I taught you that."

"Don't take all the credit, Klaus...i taught her how to snap a neck like that."

She walked around her brother and passed her father. They trailed behind her down the street and it was as if she could feel the anger coming off if them. Her father was clenching his fists while Marcel had to stop himself from going back to the Mikaelson home and give Hayley a piece of his mind, that was part of the reason why he had left. Klaus sped in front of her while Marcel looked at the bloody mess on the streets. She sighed and came to a halt, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at her father. His eyes were dark, looking like he wanted to join her in her rampage, while Marcel was better at hiding it. He placed his hands on her shoulders, noticing something familiar in her blue eyes, though they seemed like his at the moment.

Klaus smirked at her,"You get the anger from me, baby wolf. It's a deadly weapon but makes the chase more enjoyable. Though, it did drag on a bit, so i'm going to give it a seven for the actual killing and a possible eight for the for the blood and gore. It was too horror movie for me, love."

They two rolled their eyes and Hope replied,"I'll try and do better on the next one, maybe you'll give me a gold star. But I don't need chaperones, so you two can go back home."

He got in her way once more,"I can't, love, sorry. I've been told that I have to do the fatherly duty today. So it looks like we're bonding over our mother issues."

Marcel turned to his sister and said,"What your old man is trying to say is that that we're on your side. Your mother broke the vow, but we haven't, so don't take it out on us. We don't want to fight."

Hope faced her brother, eyes losing some of her anger before she opened her arms. He hugged her as Klaus watched, and a few moments later she pulled away before smiling at him. Klaus looked on, slightly jealous at the relationship they had. Though he was never one for hugging or moments of family bonding, he wasn't as against it when it came to his daughter. He knew that she was the same and made exceptions for Marcel and Rebekah. As if sensing this, Hope turned hugged her father, who returned it hesitantly. After pulling away from him, she stood in front of them with a look of promise on her face. She knew that Klaus was on her side, both of them knew what rejection from a parent was like, she could relate to them. Though her mother hadn't turned her back on her, she didn't believe in her.

To Hope, that was some sort of rejection, and she wanted to forget.

"I wouldn't do that. I would never fight with family. Family stick together, she chose otherwise. You don't turn on family. Always and forever, right?"

They nodded. Both understood where she was coming from, and also knew that Elijah and Rebekah were on her side. Hayley had broken a promise, she had hurt her. She refused to let Hope make her own choices, she refused to believe in her. Hope wanted to fight for her family, she wanted to do what they had done for her. Marcel held out hand, and after making a show of rolling his eyes, Klaus did the same. Marcel could see in his eyes how much it meant to them. Hope playfully glared at her brother before she placed her smaller hand on top of the other two.

"You had to make it weird, didn't you?"

Klaus chuckled at her before saying,"Always and forever, love. May the blood spill of those who try to come in between that."

He was trying to form a relationship with her, one different from the one he had with Mickael, but it was hard. In this matter, he backed her up one hundred percent, he would never be like his father. He refused to make her feel alone or feel like her parents didn't care for her. He promised her to have the city her home and he also promised her that he would always be there. He didn't want to change who she was, because in his eyes, his daughter was perfect. She was stubborn, tough, independent, strong and had nothing but love and loyalty for those she loved dearly, but she had no mercy for those who crossed her or her family.

"Always and forever." Marcel repeated.

She smiled wide at them before the hunger came back,"Now, where can I find locals?"

They wanted the same thing, to support her and they were both hungry anyway. The two men looked at one another, and small smiles appeared on their faces. Klaus began to walk away, facing her as he walked backwards. Marcel swung an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into his side. He wasn't going to ever let her down, he was going to be there for her, no matter what. If that meant that he would have to stand against Hayley or anyone else, he would. He couldn't stop feeling respect towards Klaus, he'd expected him to tear Hayley's head off, but he'd been good about the situation.

He was being a father, in his own Klaus way and it seemed like it was working. He connected with his daughter, the two were the same, Marcel saw the traits. He just hope that they wouldn't see Hayley that night, if they did, it wouldn't end well. It was as if Hope had written her out, like she didn't tolerate those who disappointed her, just like Klaus did. He could understand how she was feeling, she had asked her mother to believe in her, to make her see that this was for the best, but Hayley had refused, and in his eyes, she had made a big mistake. Being leader to New Orleans is what she had to do, but he'd respect whatever she decided.

Klaus replied to her,"There's a bar called Rousseau's, that's usually full. But you have to feed them your blood, you can't kill them all. It'll stop the tourists and that's something we don't want. We'll send some of our men for them lot, love, but be careful. But remember our lessons, we aren't out of town so you need to go easy. "

"If we don't, your uncle will give us one of his _'I'm not telling you but you can tell by my expression i'm disappointed with you'_ looks." Marcel added.

"Fine, but only because you asked but it'll take a while to get used to." She said to Marcel as they followed Klaus,"I've had a really long day. Kinda of an emotional roller coaster, and thanks to genes, I deal with my emotional problems like my father. Y'know, get upset, storm off and hiding the pain by killing off a few locals."

"...and possibly biting a few vampires all while planning global domination. Luckily that's not your aim." Her brother piped up, a small smile crawling on his face.

"I can hear you two."

"You were supposed to. It's good to know that your hearing hasn't gone because of your age. Though being grumpy has always been there apparently."

She and Marcel chuckled as Klaus sent them a look. Though, he couldn't stop the smile appearing on his lips. They had become close, though sometimes the two were horrible to be around. They acted like small children sometimes, always laughing at someone else's expense which always made Elijah tell them off, like he did with Hope and Rebekah. But they made great partners in crime. They created hell when they went out on hunts, Klaus had allowed Marcel to take her on them whenever he couldn't make it. He had spent years teaching his boys before Klaus came back to town so he knew the best spots where there was weak prey.

While Klaus taught her how to control the werewolf, Marcel took it upon himself to teach her the perks of the vampire. The hybrid was also Klaus' responsibility, and she had been making great progress. Marcel was protective and always made sure that she had a smile on her face, he hated to see her upset while Hope brought light to his life. He'd never had a sibling and had spent years waiting to meet her. They had become close quickly, and he had been telling her stories of his life with Klaus when he was younger, the good ones, of course. Klaus grinned once more, it had been nice to have her home, and apart from the situation with her mother, she had settled in well. He assumed that she had been the same way when she was living with Rebekah, and from what Elijah told Klaus, his daughter was his humanity and the more she was around, the more she brought it out. Though he still wouldn't hesitate to rip out someone's throat if they threatened that.

"It seems that Elijah was right. You do act like children at times, no matter your age...reminds of of Kol."

"Oh, yeah, the charming but petulant brother. Rebekah told me about him."

"Charming? He was a pain in the arse, love. But I could see how others would fall for his tricks, he did have a way with them, though he got that from me. Being related to yours truly does have it's benefits."

Klaus entered the bar and they laughed once more. Marcel couldn't deny that Klaus did have his charming ways, he had a silver tongue and was known for being a ladies man. Also being the original vampire gave him an advantage, Klaus was like a rockstar among the supernatural. He was well known and his name had a lot of worshipers along with some haters, but even they wanted his approval. Marcel had also learned some of his best tricks from the hybrid, but that was something else he wouldn't tell Hope.

Hope shook her head at her father, before she gestured toward him,"And the award for 'Biggest Ego' goes to..."

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><p><strong>Please review. Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


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